CSI Miami
Chapter Two
Going Under
Read and Review please! Feedback is always welcome. . .Keep in mind that some things may not be represented in all actuality. . .it is CSI after all. . .I'm just writing it as I see it. . . :) Thanks. . .
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A few days later. . .
The grey CSI Hummer pulled into the parking lot of the Crandon Beach as the parking lot was emptying out fast, families and couples hurrying to their vehicles.
It pulled into a parking spot as it came to a quick stop, people staring at it as the driver and passenger's side doors opened simultaniously.
Ryan stepped out of the driver's side as Natalia stepped out of the passenger's side and they closed the doors behind them.
"It's really clearing out. . ." Natalia commented as the two of them headed to the back of the Hummer, Ryan reaching it first as he opened the back door.
"Dead bodies tend to empty out beaches Natalia." Ryan said as he grabbed his kit and turned his head to look at her, the trademark patented smirk of his on his face as she rolled her eyes and grabbed her kit as well.
"Hey, watch it buddy otherwise the body on the beach will be getting some company." She said as she leaned out and Ryan closed the door behind them.
"Alright, alright. . . let's just focus on one body at a time. . .Besides, you wouldn't want to kill me. . it would wind up being too much work for you when the team finds me. . ." He said smiling as they walked alongside each other towards the beach, kits in hand.
"That's true. . .but who says they'd ever find you?" Natalia said in a low voice, looking gravely serious as he hesitated, stopping for a moment as the smile slowly faded off his face before she broke out in laughter as she gently shoved his shoulder with her palm.
"Funny. . .that's. . .that's real funny Natalia." Ryan said with a grin as she shrugged.
"I thought so. . .don't push me Wolfe, I could do it. . ." She said teasingly as they'd reached the sand, looking ahead of them as there was a flurry of activity by the water.
Four posts had been set up as crime scene tape ran around them, forming a large square.
A uniformed Miami-Dade officer was standing in front of the tape, hands folded in front of him.
Frank Tripp stood off to the right of the roped off area, talking to a group of four men that appeared to be fishermen.
Inside the crime scene tape lay a large steel box as a young woman was kneeling down beside it and Ryan's eyebrows furrowed.
"Hey, who's that?" He asked Natalia as he nodded his head towards the woman and Natalia stopped walking as she turned to look at him as he turned to look at her.
"Seriously Ryan? She's the new M.E., weren't you paying attention when Horatio told us?" She said, amusement in her tone as he scoffed.
"Uh of course I was paying attention. . .it's just that we've gone through like what? Twenty medical examiners since. . .well, anyways no one's stayed yet so everyone's names have just kinda blurred together." Ryan said defensively.
"Yeah, that's true. . .it's too bad. . ever since Tara left, we haven't been able to keep one. I still can't get over what she did." Natalia said, shaking her head as Ryan felt a little guilt rise up as he remembered Tara pleading with him to not tell Horatio, but he'd had no other choice. He'd given her a warning before reporting her. . .he'd given her a chance but she hadn't taken it and was now spending time in jail. He knew it was the right thing to do but he still couldn't help feeling bad for having to do that to Tara.
"Yeah. . .too bad. . so, about the new M.E.'s name? Can you help me out?" Ryan asked as they started to walk again as she shook her head sideways
"You my friend are on your own. . .besides, she'll probably introduce herself." Natalia said as the reached the tape.
"Morning. . ." She said to the officer as she pulled out her badge and showed it to him as he nodded his head and lifted the tape.
She ducked under it, Ryan showing his badge as well as he was right behind her.
They slowly approached the strange, large metal casket that lay in front of them as the M.E. looked up at her as she stood up, a smile on her face as she extended her hand towards them.
"Hi. . Dr. Katy Hamilton. . .pleasure to meet you." She said, a hint of a British accent lingering in her voice as Ryan set down his kit quickly and took her hand in his as he looked her over.
She was strikingly pretty and young. . .late twenties to early thirties he was guessing
She stood at around five nine and had a trim, athletic build, wearing black dress pants matched with a purple blouse.
She had dark, straight black hair that had been tied back neatly into a ponytail as her bangs were pinned back. She had dark green eyes that were partially hidden behind a stylish pair of black thick rimmed glasses.
Her face was darkly tanned from the sun, a nice natural tan, and her smile revealed rows of perfectly straight teeth as she had a friendly look to her as Ryan snapped out of his trance as he smiled back at her.
"Hi. . .uh . .CSI Ryan Wolfe. . ." Ryan said hastily as he could almost feel Natalia rolling her eyes behind him as she stepped forwards and extended her hand, Dr. Hamilton removing her hand from his as she shook Natalia's.
"CSI Natalia Boa Vista. What have we got?" She asked as the three of them turned their attention towards the box on the ground.
It appeared to be seven feet by four and was made almost entirely out of steel as Ryan noted the small window at the top of the box.
"Take a look for yourselves. . ." Dr. Hamilton said as Ryan leaned over, peering into the small window.
"I don't see. . ." He began but she leaned down and drew back a covering on the window as Ryan leapt backwards, startled as his stomach lurched, Natalia making a disgusted face.
"That's absolutely disgusting." She said as they stared at a grotesquely bloated human face pressed up against the glass.
"It is rather. . .disturbing but until we get this box open, I'm afraid I won't be able to tell you much more." Dr. Hamilton said.
"How do you suggest we proceed?" Ryan asked.
"I think the best option is to take this back to the lab. I've got proper equipment at the lab to open it with as the lid has been welded shut." She said.
"Alright. . .I'll just take some pictures before we move it." He said as he set his kit down on the ground and grabbed his camera.
"I'll go talk to Tripp and the fishermen. See what I can find out." Natalia said as Ryan nodded and she turned and walked towards Tripp.
As she ducked under the crime scene tape, she picked up a little piece of the conversation as she continued to make her way forwards.
"Do I look stupid to you gentlemen? Like I've got the word idiot tattooed across my forehead? Look you boneheads, we can either do this here or I can drag your asses back to the department. See how much fishing you can get done there."
A smile tugged at the corner of Natalia's mouth as she heard Frank's familiar drawl, using his usual tact as he talked to the witnesses.
"Hey Frank. . ." She called out as he turned to face her and he gave her a brief, polite smile before getting back to business, a scowl on his face.
"Hey Natalia. Maybe you'll have better luck explaining to these lunkheads here why they can't just climb back on their boat and get on with their day." He said as she looked at the four men who were looking her over, having lost all interest in Tripp.
"Well now that she's here, we can stay all day now, can't we boys?" A man with a heavy New Jersey accent stepped forwards as he was looking her up and down, a grin on his face. He was tall and heavy set, his grin revealing missing teeth. He had long, scraggy grey hair and was wearing a pair of plastic yellow overalls with a white t-shirt underneath, black rubber boots on his feet.
"Natalia. . this here Romeo's Mike Kessel." Tripp said.
"Nice to meet ya babe. This here's Davey. . ." Mike nodded at a short, robust guy behind him that had black hair and a baseball cap covering his head, wearing the same yellow overalls as he tipped his hat in greeting.
". . .this is Pete. . ." Mike continued as a tall, lanky man with messy brown hair smiled at Natalia, wearing a pair of yellow plastic overalls as the other two men.
"And this here's Ross. . ." Mike finished as a tall, muscular man with cropped blonde hair and wearing a tight black shirt underneath a pair of orange plastic overalls stepped forwards.
"Nice to meet ya. . ." He said, his voice low and rumbling as Natalia gave him a fleeting smile.
"Likewise. . .so, what can you guys tell me about the body?" Natalia asked.
"Well, like I told super trooper over here. . ." Mike began.
"Watch it pal. . ." Tripp snapped at him.
"Okay. . .like I was saying, we just went out to fish this morning. We put our nets down and somehow we dragged that thing out of the water. . .miracle it didn't break the damn nets." Mike said.
"So why didn't you call the cops when you saw the body?" She asked.
"Well, thing is ma'm, we couldn't see inside the thing and didn't really make an effort to. . we just figured we could do something with the steel and the four of us were carrying the thing across the beach when it fell and that cover thing opened and then. . .we saw it through the window." Ross said.
"I've never seen anything more disgusting in my life." Pete said.
"So now that we told you our story, can we go? This has already set us behind. . ." Mike said.
"Sorry fellas but it looks like you're going to be done fishing for awhile. We're going to need to check out your boat and get you to show us where you found the body." Natalia said apologetically as Mike shrugged his shoulders, a smile tugging on the corner of his mouth as he looked Natalia over from head to toe before looking up at her face.
"That's alright, I can think. . ." He began but trailed off when he saw Natalia subtly shift her hand from her right hip to the butt end of her gun that was in the holster, attached to her hip as she smiled at him brightly.
" Now what was that you were saying Mr. Kessel?" She asked cheerfully as he swallowed thickly.
"Nothing ma'm. . ." He said hastily as she looked at Frank, who had a smirk on his face.
"Great. Well then, I'm going to go back to the lab with Ryan and Dr. Hamilton. I'll see if Calleigh and Eric can come out here and look around the boat. Maybe Eric can go diving around where the body was found." She said as Frank nodded.
"Sounds good to me. . .alright fella's, let's go . ." Frank barked at them as Natalia turned and headed back towards where Ryan was as he looked her way, watching as she ducked under the tape and made her way over.
"Hey, so what's the story?" Ryan asked as she quickly recapped what had happened.
"Are so are we finished here?" Natalia asked as he nodded.
"Yeah just finished up. Alright, let's get everything back to the lab. . ."
