"Hey Calleigh." Alexx greeted her as she arrived at the crime scene.
"Hey Alexx." Calleigh had been taking pictures; she had found several bullet casings.
"So what have we got?" Alexx asked.
"It appears she was shot at close range with a 9mm. I found several casings but I'm hoping you can find me some more to work with."
"Let's get a look at you sweetheart." Alexx crouched by the body. "Do we have a name for her yet?"
"Haven't found a purse or any other ID." Calleigh replied. "We'll run her prints which you can get for me, check missing persons. She's too smartly dressed to not be missed by someone."
"Calleigh take a look at this." Alexx had pushed back the neck of the woman's shirt. She had bruising around her neck. "Looks like someone tried to strangle her, but you put a fight didn't you sweetheart." Alexx checked her wrists and hands. "There are defensive wounds."
"How long do you think she's been dead?" Calleigh asked.
"I'll need to take a liver temp before I'm certain but I'm guessing not more than a few hours."
"Alexx, I see a red fibre can I?" Alexx nodded. Calleigh took a pair of tweezers and extracted the fibre from the woman's shirt collar. "Looks synthetic to me." Calleigh said. "These clothes are definitely not synthetic. Looks like our killer left something behind." Calleigh smiled and put the fibre into and evidence bag. "I'm going to take another look around."
"Okay." Alexx smiled. "By the way is that a new fashion statement?" She nodded indicating the man's grey suit jacket Calleigh had on over her black pants and white top.
"No, I was cold when I got here."
"Because that looks a lot like the jacket to the suit that Horatio had on this morning when I saw him."
"I literally ran into Hannah this morning and she threw her coffee over me. I had a spare shirt in my locker but no jacket since it's colder today I had goose bumps when I got here so Horatio insisted I took his jacket, I tried protesting."
"But Horatio insisted." Alexx finished for her. Calleigh nodded.
"Speaking of Horatio." A voice behind Calleigh said.
"Hello Yelina." Calleigh greeted her.
"Calleigh, Alexx, have you seen him?"
"He was here, but Eric was having problems gaining access to a crime scene. Since Speed's away at that conference Eric was on his own with Tripp, so Horatio went to help sort it out."
"I'm supposed to be testifying in court in an hour. When you see him can you tell him my plans for tonight fell through and I don't need him to watch Ray Jr." Yelina asked slightly coldly.
"I'll tell him, but I know he'll be disappointed, he was looking forward to seeing him."
"Tell him we'll arrange something later in the week. Alexx." Yelina said before walking away.
"Is it just me or does that woman not like me?" Calleigh turned and asked Alexx.
"It's not you." Alexx replied.
"What did I ever do to her?"
"In one word Horatio." Alexx said.
"What about Horatio?" Calleigh questioned.
"You two are pretty close, you flirt harmlessly and she doesn't like it."
"Why Horatio and I are just friends, he's my boss."
"Yelina doesn't see it like that. She thinks you're trying to muscle in on him." Alexx continued to explain.
"She's his sister-in-law."
"Yelina likes to think she has some hold over him, she doesn't want some pretty blonde with a cute southern accent trying to change that status quo."
"I wouldn't..." Calleigh started to protest.
"I know, but you wearing his jacket doesn't help."
"Calleigh." Eric said as he walked into ballistics.
"Eric, did you finally get into your crime scene then?" Calleigh looked up and smiled at him.
"Horatio arrived and talked to the guy for two minutes and he was helpful as can be. He was telling me to take as long as I liked."
"So is this a social call?" She asked.
"No, I have a bullet casing and a gun, I was hoping you'd have time to run a check and see if they match for me."
"I'll make you a deal. I have a red fibre found on my victim you try and find out what type of fabric it's from and I'll run your ballistics."
"Deal." Eric shook her hand. "But I thought Horatio was working the case with you."
"I haven't seen him since he went to help you out."
"By the way you still have his suit jacket on." Eric pointed out.
"I forgot about that." Calleigh slipped it off and laid it over the back of a chair.
"Care to explain?"
"I was cold; he insisted and then left before I had a chance to return it. By the way if you see him tell him Yelina doesn't need him to watch Ray Jr tonight her plans fell through."
"Since when did you become Yelina's personnel message service?" Eric asked.
"Since according to Alexx I became competition."
"I see." Eric had a knowing smile on his face.
"I should get back to work." Calleigh said changing the subject.
"I'll get you the report on your fibres as soon as I can."
"Thanks." Calleigh replied.
"Hey Alexx." Horatio said as he walked in as Alexx was finishing her autopsy.
"Horatio."
"What can you tell me?" He asked.
"Our victim is still a Jane Doe. Cause of death was a bullet passing through her aorta severing it, but she had three bullets passing right through her. But before she died someone tried to strangle her. She has defensive marks on her hands and arms. Calleigh has the scrapings from under her fingernails in DNA, she also has the red fibre that was caught in her shirt button, the bullets and the hand prints." Alexx explained.
"So whoever killed probably tried unsuccessfully before."
"She has scuff marks on the backs of her heels and shoes."
"I'll check missing persons." Horatio said.
"I think Calleigh already has someone running it and the fingerprints."
"Isn't she efficient today?" Horatio commented.
"Horatio you need to talk to her."
"About what Alexx?" Horatio questioned.
"Yelina." Alexx replied.
"What about Yelina?"
"You probably haven't noticed but Yelina doesn't like Calleigh."
"Of course she does."
"No, she's pleasant when you're around but when you're not she isn't."
"Why didn't Calleigh say anything?" Horatio asked.
"It's Calleigh she wouldn't. But you lending her your jacket didn't help matters much."
"Thanks Alexx."
"Hey Cal." Horatio said as he walked into ballistics.
"Horatio." Calleigh smiled. "The bullets are from a standard issue 9mm, PD gun."
"So you're thinking it was a cop." Horatio said.
"Something has me thinking that, it was an older model, one that has been discontinued, I'm running it against the database now."
"Is that them?" He asked indicating the microscope she had been looking in.
"Er no. I'm comparing the bullets with the gun Eric found for him while he runs the red fibre, with Tim away it seemed logical."
"I see." Horatio said. "I hear you have been having problems with Yelina."
"Who told you that?" Calleigh asked.
"Alexx." Horatio replied.
"Did she give you Yelina's message?"
"No."
"Her plans fell through, she doesn't need you to watch Ray Jr tonight, but she'll call and schedule some time to you to see him later in the week." Calleigh relayed the message.
"Thank you for letting me know."
"Your jacket is on the chair behind you. Thank you for loaning it to me."
"Calleigh, about Yelina..." Horatio started.
"It's nothing." She interrupted.
"I'll talk to her."
"Horatio, there is no need."
"Cal, you have to be able to work together."
"Horatio you may not have noticed but I'm an adult I can handle someone not liking me."
"I noticed. Cal talk to me."
"Horatio, there isn't anything to talk about."
The phone rang much to Calleigh's relief.
"Ballistics, Duquesne." She answered. "Yes...Yes.. We'll be right over." She hung. "We may have an ID on our Jane Doe."
"This discussion isn't over."
"It is for now." Calleigh breezed past him.
"So why would Ms Soccer Mom be running?" Calleigh asked.
"Maybe we should ask her husband." Horatio suggested.
Calleigh's cell phone rang.
"Excuse me a minutes." She stepped back and flipper her cell phone open. "Duquesne." She answered.
"Calleigh, honey it's me." A voice on the other end said.
"Tim?" Calleigh questioned.
"Yes honey it's me."
"Why are you calling me honey?" Horatio looked at her.
"How are the kids?" Speed asked.
"Horatio and Eric are just fine sugar. We've only got a couple of db's we can handle it."
"Are you sure you don't need me to come home?" Tim asked.
"Conference that bad huh?" Calleigh smiled.
"Calleigh, get me out of here."
"She's gone then."
"Yes. But give me a reason to come back please."
"Hang on a second." Calleigh turned back to Horatio. "Timothy is having a bad day at school and he would like to know if he can cut out early and come home."
"Let me speak to him." Calleigh gave him the phone. "Speed what's up?"
"The conference is no use to us, and I have this woman following me around, who keeps making passes at me."
"So you called Calleigh to pretend she was your wife?" Horatio questioned.
"Yes. Is she made?" Speed asked.
"Well she's blushing. Horatio said glancing at Calleigh. "I don't think she's going to shoot you at any rate."
"That's good to know. So do I have to stay?"
"Come back to CSI. Eric could use your help." Horatio said.
"Thanks H." They hung up.
"Calleigh, there you are." Eric said.
"Your bullets match your gun. There's a partial print on one of the bullets but none on the gun itself, I haven't run the print yet."
"I'll run it. Your fibre had a high elastane content, I ran it against the database, it's not dissimilar to the material to make gloves."
"Probably the reason we couldn't find any latent prints." Calleigh replied.
"Can I trade you reports?" Eric asked. "Because I have a lot to run through the lab."
"Of course." Calleigh smiled.
"Speed should be back to help you soon." Horatio replied.
"I thought he was at a conference all day." Eric said.
"Apparently he missed the kids an I." Calleigh said plainly.
"Did I miss something?" Eric asked.
"I think someone was making advances towards him so he called. I'm now being referred to as honey."
"That's because you're sweet as honey Cal." Eric winked at her.
"You say the sweetest things." Calleigh blushed again.
"Huh hum." Horatio coughed. "Maybe you should get back to work."
"Right, I'll talk to your later." Eric turned and left.
"Before we go do the Fletchers have a gun registered to them?" Calleigh asked.
"Find out, I'll have Tripp meet us in the parking lot in ten minutes." Horatio said.
"Yes sir." Calleigh muttered.
TBC
