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Two weeks later
After driving Kyle to the daycare Horatio hurried to a crime scene. It was a triple homicide and he had a feeling he wouldn't be home for dinner today or the next day. He knew Kyle wouldn't be mad at him for it and it made the lieutenant very grateful for having such an understanding son.
When Horatio arrived at the scene there were cops everywhere and he saw Eric pull up in his hummer; his face flushed after hurrying to work. The young man saw the redhead and approached him before they ducked under the crime tape.
"Morning, H." The young man said.
"Morning Eric."
They entered the house and immediately smelled blood and decomposed bodies. Speed was already processing the kitchen where two bodies had been found. Alexx was checking on the third body in the living room, the only one of the three killed recently and Calleigh was still on her way to the scene. It wasn't even seven in the morning yet and a tired looking detective Tripp approached Horatio and Eric.
"Morning guys." He said and then yawned, "Neighbor heard a scream and a shot; called the cops and here we are."
"Eric process the living room." Horatio said and when the young man had left, Horatio focused on Frank, "Anyone own the house?"
"No." Frank said, "And the two rotten bodies have no ID. The third victim is 32-year-old named Michael Hansen."
While Frank told Horatio what he had been able to find on the victim, Horatio walked around the house and looked around. He did this to get a feel of the place and to get a sort of mental "video" of the turn of events leading to the death of three people. When Frank had finished briefing the redhead they had joined Alexx in the living room; whom had now finished too.
"The two bodies in the kitchen are female; both dead for over two months. This guy here has been dead less than two hours." Alexx said and grimaced at the smell, "And he smells of urine."
"Does he have any stains?" Horatio asked.
"Yeah, all over his jacket. Somebody must have hated this guy." Alexx said, "I found an entry and exit hole too. There's a bullet here somewhere."
"Thank you, Alexx." Horatio said.
She waved her assistants over and they started putting the bodies in body bags to take them to the morgue. Speed walked over to his boss and sighed; never a good sign.
"I got two pair of shoeprints, one belonging to the victim based on the mud leading from the prints to where his body was." Speed said, "The other one leads to the back yard and that's as far as I can follow it."
"This sounds to me like a deal gone bad." Frank said.
"You think Mister Hansen and someone else killed the two girls and now the partner killed Hansen?" Speed asked.
"Yeah, maybe they argued about something." Frank shrugged.
"I got drugs." Eric said, as he stood by the living room table.
"We're on the job, can't take stuff like that now." Speed teased.
"Funny." Eric rolled his eyes.
Just then a winded Calleigh Duquesne came running with her kit.
"I had slept over at my friend's place last night, took me longer to get here than usual." She explained.
"No worries." Horatio said, "We have a missing bullet for you."
Calleigh nodded and started looking for the bullet. Horatio walked over to Eric and he showed him the thin white lines; indicating somebody had been snorting drugs recently.
"This seems weird somehow; two dead females, drugs and a dead male body." Horatio said.
"Thinking this might be bigger?" Speed asked.
"Maybe. Why kill two women and not dispose of the bodies? Why continue coming here to take drugs?"
"I'll check missing persons and any disturbance calls from two months ago or more." Frank said.
Horatio nodded and Frank walked away to make some calls. Horatio opened his kit and helped Eric process the living room.
-I-
It was a few hours later in the lab and Horatio was freshly showered. He rarely used the crime lab's shower, but after digging through dumpsters of trash looking for the gun that had killed Michael Hansen, he had had to use it. Normally he could have asked someone from the team to dig through the trash, but since Calleigh had still been searching for the bullet and Eric had already done dumpster duty for a month (after losing a bet to Speed), he had felt he could do it. Speed had been busy helping Calleigh. Besides, sometimes the boss needed to get dirty and do the smelliest part of the job. However, he had found nothing but dead rats, a dead cat and the usual trash.
It was now lunch and he was expecting his team back any minute for some pizza. He picked up his mail at the receptionist Paula and frowned when she giggled and handed him a white box.
"For you, sir." She said.
"From who?"
"It doesn't say." She smiled.
"Is it Valentine's day?" He asked.
"No, sir. We've passed that a long time ago."
Horatio frowned and shrugged. It then occurred to him that an ex-girlfriend from New York always sent him white boxes of chocolate when it was nearing summer. It was her way of apologizing for breaking his heart, even though it was many years ago now.
He entered his office, sat down by his desk and opened his mail first; nothing interesting. Then he grabbed the box and pulled the red ribbon off it. He opened the box and indeed it was chocolate inside; and a note.
"Dear Horatio, hope you like this treat. Will see you soon." He read.
No name or initials to tell who it was. Usually his ex signed it with M for Madeline and she always wrote "still sorry" on the note. He got an uneasy feeling. It didn't seem like Madeline had sent it. A knock on the door made him put the box away.
"Come in."
The door opened and three very tired CSIs entered. Calleigh and Speed slumped down on the couch and Eric on one of the guest chairs.
"I found the bullet." Calleigh said, "A .38."
"And I found trace to indicate that our second killer is a woman." Speed sighed.
"I found fingerprints; I haven't processed it yet."
"Okay, good work." Horatio smiled, "Why a woman, Speed?"
"I found trace of an eyeliner, mascara and hair dye." Speed said.
"It could be a man trying to look like a woman." Eric suggested.
"Or my grandmother trying to make herself look forty years younger by dressing like Marilyn Monroe." Speed said, "It's a woman, newbie."
"Your grandmother does that?" Calleigh asked.
"Only when it's Marilyn Monroe's birthday." Speed shrugged, "She's a bit... strange."
The team chuckled. Horatio announced that it was time for lunch before anyone continued processing their findings. People needed to eat to be able work and also get breaks. They went to the break room and were quickly joined by Alexx. They ordered pizza, which quickly arrived and then started eating it.
Time passed too quickly and soon lunch was over. Eric went to process the fingerprints, Speed went to process some trace evidence he had found besides the make-up and Calleigh went to process the bullet. Horatio, decided to check on Frank and he took the elevator down to the homicide department. Frank was typing, slowly, on his computer keyboard and Horatio smiled amused. The big bald Texan hated computers, even though he had to admit that they helped to get information quicker and it took less space than to have the desk flooding with files.
"Hello Francis." Horatio greeted.
"Horatio." Frank greeted with a sigh, "Mister Hansen is known in Iowa as Tyler Park."
Frank told Horatio about the victim's violent past and the crimes he had been convicted off before. It had been sealed files because of his young age at first and then because the people he had committed crimes towards had been underage.
"He's a sex offender." Horatio said.
"Sleeping with underage girls." Frank said disgusted, "And his partner in crime happens to be an Eileen Horn."
Horatio told Frank about Speed's finding, indicating it was a woman. It seemed that Eileen had killed Tyler AKA Michael. Frank had a theory that it was because of the two dead girls in the kitchen and drugs.
"Until we find more evidence or Eileen we can't know for sure." Horatio said.
"I put out a BOLO on her." Frank said.
Frank looked past Horatio and the redhead turned around. He noticed a woman he hadn't seen before walking towards them. She was just a bit shorter than him, with green eyes and brown hair. Dark brown. She was a little on the plus side, yet not so much. She did have very nice curves.
As she came closer she looked into Horatio's eyes and smiled. Frank stood up and the woman stopped right next to Horatio.
"Horatio meet detective Jenna Harrow." Frank said.
"Nice to meet you lieutenant Caine." Jenna smiled.
"Likewise. And please call me Horatio." Horatio smiled back.
"Jenna has transferred from Atlanta police department. She worked homicide there for the last six years." Frank said.
"I am from Miami originally." Jenna explained, "I just got the word that I will be joining you on today's triple homicide."
"A fresh pair of eyes are never turned down." Horatio said.
"Great!" Jenna smiled.
She was eager Horatio noticed. A bit younger than him, maybe six or seven years. She seemed nice and he was sure she would get along with the team.
Frank noticed the way Horatio looked at Jenna and smirked. Jenna had the desk next to him. She and Horatio talked about the triple homicide while Frank had the chance to observe him. If his gut feeling was right he could swear Horatio was already quite taken with the woman, although he wasn't sure if the redhead realized it himself. Unfortunately, he wouldn't make a move; Frank knew that. Horatio was still grieving Julia and was not likely to get involved with Jenna. Unless, Frank could help him do it. Lord knew, the man deserved someone to love him or at the very least get laid, according to Frank.
-I-
Much to everyone's relief the triple homicide had been cleared the moment Eileen Horn had been arrested. She had confessed to killing Tyler Park over drugs. Horatio had luckily been able to get home for dinner. Although, by the time he was on his way home Charlie called him and told him that they were all having dinner with Yelina at her house.
Now, Horatio was cleaning the dishes and telling Yelina and Charlie about the white box of chocolate he had received. They could hear Ray Jr and Kyle playing and laughing in Ray Jr's room.
"It doesn't sound like Madeline sent you that box." Yelina said, "She always signs her gifts doesn't she."
"Yes."
"And besides, she doesn't send her boxes until June." Yelina said.
"How many years had she done that?" Charlie asked.
"Ten years."
"Ten years!" Charlie exclaimed, "Because she broke your heart and she feels guilty?"
"Yeah, she cheated on me for almost a year and dumped me." Horatio shrugged, "It's a long time ago. But she can't forgive herself, so she sends me a gift every year to apologize."
"Somebody must know about her then." Charlie said, "This new woman sent you one just like it."
"Yeah, but white chocolate boxes are easy to come by." Yelina said, "Just be careful, Horatio."
"You're telling that man to be careful." Charlie snorted and Yelina laughed.
It was a well known fact that Horatio was anything but careful when it came to his own safety. Everyone else he could take care of, but not himself.
"Maybe you have a secret admirer." Charlie said.
"Yeah, that new detective." Yelina grinned, "Jenna Harrow."
Horatio blushed. He didn't know why he had reacted the way he had when he had seen Jenna. He wasn't in love. He would say he didn't believe in love at first sight, but he had fallen in love with Julia that way. No, something was special about Jenna, but Horatio didn't have time to figure out what. She was just a colleague and maybe in time she would become a friend; nothing more.
"You know, it's not wrong to find someone again." Yelina said.
Charlie sensed that it was a conversation between Yelina and Horatio. She quietly left to see what Ray Jr and Kyle were up too. Horatio sighed and didn't answer his sister-in-law. The two of them were grieving very differently. Yelina was of course sad that Raymond was no longer with her and Ray Jr. But even though Raymond had been gone half as long as Julia, she seemed to have moved on much easier or faster. She didn't wear the wedding ring anymore. She loved Raymond and always would. However, she had moved on and accepted that he was gone.
Horatio had not; he still wore the wedding ring, still had Julia's clothes in the closet and hadn't come near a woman in four years. Not intimately anyway.
"Horatio?"
"I don't want to talk about it." He said quietly.
"Horatio... you will need to move on at some point. If not for your own sake, then for Kyle." Yelina said, "I know it's hard. But Julia would want you to be happy."
"I think I know what my wife would want!" Horatio snapped.
He sighed and his shoulders tensed. Yelina rubbed his shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Maybe you can be happy again if you let yourself take the opportunity to be." She said and then went to find Charlie and the boys.
Horatio looked down at his finger and his ring. He knew, deep down, that Yelina was right. It was just so hard to do.
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