"I killed her H," Eric sobbed, his voice almost yelling. "I shot her, and all she could do was lye here and tell me she loved me," hot tears streamed down Eric's cheeks, blaming himself for the death of his lover. Horatio remained silent, just listening.
"Eric, you have to let her go," Horatio whispered after a while. Eric turned his red rimmed eyes toward his boss, his face full of questions. "You have to let Dr. Price take her," Horatio concluded.
"An autopsy?" Eric questioned, turning back to the body in his arms. "No, H, it was me, I shot her, just let her be," he begged, not wanting to see her cut open.
"Eric, you know we can't do that, we have to do this the right way," Horatio corrected before standing and motioning out the window for Tara. The young black lady would never be ready to see what she saw just then. Two of her closest friends, one of them dead, and the other whishing he was. Shaking her head quickly at Horatio she turned and walked back out of the house.
"I can't do it," Tara sobbed standing in a small circle with Ryan, Frank and Natalia.
"You have to Tara, Calleigh needs you to do this, we have to catch the killer," Natalia told her, a soft hand on her arm. Tara nodded to Natalia before pulling her into a hug. Once the two women separated Tara turned and walked back into the house. She passed a grief stricken Horatio, and a blood covered Eric on her way in. She found Calleigh lying on the floor, where Eric had laid her down.
"Family members have been notified at this time that the Miami Dade Police officer killed this morning was Crime Lab's top ballistics expert Calleigh Duquesne. Officer Duquesne was a long time member of the crime lab's team headed by Lieutenant Horatio Caine. This team has dealt with this kind of tragedy before. Almost four years ago when one of their own, Timothy Speedle, was brutally shot to death…" Kenwell buried his face in his hands, his breathing labored between sobs, he was never supposed to outlive his lamb chop. Duke had only gotten off the phone with Horatio moments before and now the news was spreading the word to the entire world
Eric sauntered out of the house, his eyes not seeing anything around him. Natalia wrapped him in her arms. Eric, however remained stiff, not feeling her arms around him. "We're gonna get this guy Eric, we won't sleep until we get him," She whispered in his ear. Eric stepped back away from her, his eyes angry.
"I killed her Natalia, I pointed my gun at the window and fired!" He yelled, pointing a bloody arm at the living room window. "I shot her and all she could do is lye there and tell me she loved me! You're gonna get her killer 'Nat?" He asked her, his eyes still angry. "Then you're going to have arrest me," He concluded his voice much softer, before turning and walking down the road, away from the team, away from the accident, and away from Calleigh's dead body. Natalia looked down at herself, down at Calleigh's blood staining her clothing and then she brought her eyes up to Ryan, who was watching her intently. Natalia started to shake, tears gathering in her eyes. Ryan stepped forward and brought a hand behind her head, pulling her to him, Natalia cried softly against his shoulder.
Frank watched the terrible exchange between the entire group, not knowing where to begin. He watched as Natalia sobbed against Ryan's chest and Horatio made his way after Eric. Frank spun a circle, feeling his eyes well up he too spun away from the group in an attempt to regain his composure.
"Eric," Horatio called after him. "You need to go home," H told him softly. Eric spun toward Horatio, facing him. Thinking.
"I'm not going anywhere H, she needs me," he responded, making a move to walk passed Horatio back toward the house. The older man placed a hand on Eric's chest, stopping him.
Horatio's soft blue eyes begged Eric to understand "Eric she's gone, she doesn't need you here anymore," he told him. Eric's eyes visibly darkened at his boss's statement.
"H I can't go home," he whispered. "Her stuff, it's there," Eric stuttered. Horatio hadn't known that his two best CSI's were seeing each other, but now was not the time to act surprised or ask questions.
"Go to your parents Eric, I'll call you there when I know something," Horatio told him, not giving him room for debate. Eric nodded before taking the keys to his hummer and walking away.
"News about the accidental shooting just outside of Miami is coming in faster now, recent reports tell us that Officer Duquesne and her partner have been at odds the last few weeks with tensions rising rapidly. Now this is only a speculation but it would seem quite a coincidence that she was brutally shot to death by her partner only a few hours ago," Jake's eyes bugged out of his head. She was dead? Partner? Calleigh didn't have a partner, not just one anyway. She can't be dead, she was the best in the business. Jake reached over for his phone and dialed her number, but she never answered, her voice mail filled the speakers with her twangy southern drawl. Calleigh never let it go to voice mail. Calleigh was gone.
The large silver hummer came to a stop outside the little house. Eric never brought the hummer to his parents, he knew his mom would be worried when she saw it. Looking down Eric cursed himself for not changing, he was covered in her blood, it darkening as it dried. While Eric sat in the hummer, thinking, he watched as the front door opened and his mom stepped out, watching him. Eric sighed and got out, he wanted nothing more than to avoid all the questions. Coming around the back of the hummer he watched as his mother brought a hand to her mouth, gasping from the sight of him.
"Eric, what has happened?" She asked, her eyes watery. Eric stopped a few feet away from her and looked down at himself "Are you hurt mijo?" she asked, her voice begging him to answer her.
"No Mami, I'm…it's not my blood," he whispered.
"What has happened?" she asked again, her English broken.
"Calleigh.." Eric started, running a hand through his hair. He knew he had to say it out loud but he wasn't ready to hear the words come from his mouth. "Calleigh, is dead mami," He choked over the statement." Eric watched as his mother's face changed from concern to horror. Eric felt his composure start to fade, as he began to shake. His mother crossed the distance between them and pulled his smaller frame against hers. Eric fell into his mothers arms, his knees collapsing under him. He sobbed in her arms, with her supporting all of his weight, holding him up.