Title: Missing

Rating: PG, at least for now

Disclaimer: Unfortunately all my attempts to acquire the rights to CSI have failed. It still belongs to TPTB and the wonderful actors who portray these characters. And, perhaps that is a good thing. Too much responsibility for me.

Chapter One

Catherine pulled her car into the school car park, hopped down from the driver's seat and jogged up the path into the building.

It made a change to see the halls so deserted. The last few times she had been here it had been the middle of the school day and she had been meeting with the Principal to discuss Lindsey's disruptive behaviour. Now, the corridors were silent, except for what sounded like band practice coming from a nearby room.

She stepped into the reception area of the school office and stopped short when there was no-one there.

She fought back the instant panic that flared in her mind and heart, telling herself not to over-react. She rang the bell on the desk, and the receptionist appeared from the back room.

"Ms Willows," the young woman smiled. "What can I do for you?"

Catherine forced a smile, despite her increasing feeling that something was very wrong. "Is Lindsey here?" she asked, as calmly as she could.

The receptionist frowned. "No... As far I as I know she left with the rest of her class half an hour ago." Seeing the look of horror sweep Catherine's eyes, she quickly added. "I can check with her teacher for you."

"No... She did leave half an hour ago, but I was held up at work, and I called her and told her to come and wait in here for me..." Catherine explained, her mind not really focussing on what she was saying though, it was more occupied running through where she could be and the million things that could have happened to her. "Has she not been in at all?" she asked quickly.

The woman shook her head, her face starting to also display worry. "I'm sorry. No-one's been in, until you arrived."

Catherine snatched her cell phone out of her pocket. "I'll call her. Maybe she's gone to a different room," she muttered, willing that to be the case.

Her heart pounding loudly in her chest, she paced impatiently as her speed dial slowly went through each number. The pauses between tones seeming to get longer each time until, finally, it started to ring.

She closed her eyes as she listened to the repetitive rhythm, seconds passing like hours when no answer was received.

Her stomach turned when the call suddenly went dead.

The receptionist had called for the Principal whilst Catherine was attempting to phone Lindsey, and now both women ran towards Catherine when her face rapidly turned white and she swayed in her standing. They sat her down on a chair as she frantically dialled Lindsey's number again.

"Damn it!" she exclaimed, sweeping out of the seat as she snapped her phone shut.

"Ms Willows," the Principal tried softly. "You need to try to calm down. If we think this through we can probably figure out where Lindsey went. Is there a friend she may have gone home with?"

Catherine shook her head adamantly. "She would have told me... And she wouldn't have cut off my first call and then switched her phone off... I've got to – " She stopped when her cell phone rang. Without checking the caller ID, she flipped it open and shoved it to her ear. "Lindsey?" she said hopefully.

She could hear the frown in the caller's voice. "No. Cath, are you okay? Where are you?"

"Gil, get Brass and some uniform and get over to Lindsey's school."

She could hear him gathering his things as he continued to talk to her. "What's happened?"

"Lindsey's missing, Gil. She was supposed to wait here for me, but she's not here."

"Well, maybe she started walking home – "

"She hasn't started walking home!" she practically yelled down the phone. "She would have told me, and she wouldn't be ignoring my attempts to contact her..." Her voice went quiet as she continued. "I know it seems like I'm over-reacting, but trust me. She's my baby girl, Gil, I know something's happened to her. I can feel it."

TBC...