Chapter Two
A/N: I appreciate the good feedback on my first chapter. Here's hoping that you'll enjoy this one :)
Horatio took a moment to get up to speed on the details of his suspect's arrest before entering the interrogation room. He looked past the glass separating him from the monster on the opposite side. Every piece of evidence that they had, no matter how miniscule, pointed directly to Sam Rodrigo. The aquatic hue of the redhead's eyes darkened in rage. He'd give anything to wipe the wry smirk off of the young criminal's face.
With one last deep breath, he swung open the door and steeled himself, tossing quite the infamous glare across the room. A sickening vibe of pride hovered around Rodrigo.
Horatio broke off of his vicious stare and bluntly dropped an open file folder in front of his suspect. Several detailed crime scene photos sprawled out onto the table. The lieutenant watched Rodrigo's eyes scan each one, his attention focused on them until his husky voice shattered the silence between them.
"Admiring your work, Sam?" He chided. The younger man chuckled, impressed by Horatio's sarcastic prying.
"You wish that I capped those bitches, Caine." The kid spat. The lieutenant dropped his gaze and let a smirk crawl into his features. He knew that they had a more than reasonable amount of evidence on Sam Rodrigo, and he wouldn't close the books on this case until justice was served for the family whose happy life was cut oh so short.
"Your record says otherwise, Mr. Rodrigo." The Hispanic criminal planted a confused scowl on his face, the Caine man seeing through his little act like cellophane. Nonchalantly, Horatio lightly strolled around the room, ending up behind the Latino. Sam Rodrigo ignored the police lieutenant, certain that the man wouldn't pull anything.
However, his certainty was short-lived. In an instant, the redheaded officer snatched a fistful of his suspect's short-cropped black hair and pulled him backwards. He made sure that he had his attention before continuing.
"Do you see the children in that photo, Rodrigo? Huh? How about their widowed father?" The redhead growled with a vengeance. He didn't loosen his grip for anything.
"Yeah I see them! Let me go you crazy son-of-a-bitch!" Rodrigo yelled. In response, Horatio let go. The young Hispanic man was left panting and undeniably pissed. The uniform in the corner of the room stood in a shocked stance. He'd never seen him lose his cool. There was always a first time for everything, but this came as a surprise to the veteran officer.
"Tell me what happened, Sam. Now." The Caine man's anger showed through the clenched muscles in his face. After regaining his breathing pattern, Sam Rodrigo spoke up.
"I was walkin 'round the block, and I saw the kids get off the bus. After they got inside, I went behind their house, and picked the lock on the back door. Figured I could scare them a little, score some cash and get outta there."
"But it didn't go that way, did it?" For a second, Sam seemed regretful. But Horatio knew better not to by the ruse of a long-term piece of scum.
"The kids and their old man started to freak out, and I told them to sit down. They wouldn't shut up, so I panicked. That's when I shot 'em all."
Lieutenant Caine had heard enough. The enraged fire burning in his eyes continued to smolder. Before leaving the room, Horatio managed to leave the insolent murderer with a few words of his own.
"I hope that the faces of that family haunt you until the day you die. Get him out of my sight."
Horatio sat in the cool air of his office filing paperwork when an abrupt knock startled him. His eyes met with those of IAB Sargent Melissa Weatherly, a former protegé of Rick Stetler. The redheaded lieutenant had yet to meet her, but judging by the never-ending rumors about her, it might have been a good thing.
"Sargent Weatherly, how can I help you?" He greeted her warmly. She cast him a harsh glare from the other side of his desk. Before he had the chance to say another word, she opened a folder and damn near slammed an item of paper directly before him.
"You've been a CSI for ten years and then some, Caine. Humor me. What is that called?" The woman gestured towards the copied document on the desk. Horatio held back a chuckle once he looked down.
"It's a chain of custody, Sargent. Forgive me, but what is this about?" Weatherly picked up on his familiar sarcasm and this time, she humored him.
"That CSI that you transferred from night shift a week ago. He worked processing on that case against Sam Rodrigo, right?"
"What are you insinuating, Miss Weatherly?"
"He violated the chain of custody, Lieutenant. The SA is requesting that your case be reviewed. Until then, Rodrigo walks."
Horatio couldn't believe what he was hearing. The IAB Sargent plucked the paper from his hands, and gave him no room for argument. She left him fuming in his chair, and as soon as the door closed, the composure that he had always been known for flew out the window.
The previously emptied coffee mug that sat on his desk hit the wall and imploded, no doubt turning a few heads elsewhere. He slung his jacket over his shoulder, and ran out of the confines of his his office space. Quickly, he caught the attention of Calleigh Duquesne, and she knew something was terribly wrong. She called his name repeatedly, to absolutely no avail. Calleigh froze in the middle of the hallway at a loss for words.
The Bullet Girl tried with all of her will to mind her business, but her overwhelming concern trumped her own manners. Cal made her way to the locker room, and worried when she didn't see him there.
A group of interns scattered upon hearing the Duquesne woman order them out-of-the-way. Calleigh kept running, and didn't look back.
They watched as she made her way to the stairwell labeled "Parking Garage"
TBC