Chapter Two
Thirty minutes out of Vegas, the terrain shifted from being mostly flat to more hilly and remote with ravines and bluffs. In this particular area it was only accessible by 4-wheel drive vehicles or ATVs and beyond that only by hiking or horseback. The map given to Grissom by Father Powell had led them to a remote series of large hills with such ravines. It was also extremely rocky. The sight that had been marked to check was a very deep and narrow ravine protected by high rock walls. There was nowhere on top of this area that a helicopter could safely land to deposit the CSI's to repel into the ravine. The only safe way in was to go by horseback, thus resulting in Iris and Nick arriving in her Jeep which was pulling a horse trailer bearing Kyrie and Whiskey.
Grissom's decision to just use just two CSI's was due to the location of the potential crime scene and the fact that it was in an area what was nearly inaccessible by conventional means. The need to keep the scene as pristine as possible required the use of limited personnel until it could be fully processed.
Grissom met them as Iris went back to unload the horses which were already saddled. Durante and Cyrano were in the back of the Jeep begging for Grissom's attention so he scratched behind their ears. Nick gave Iris a hand in bringing out Whiskey, a large blood bay quarter horse gelding. The horse was considerably larger than Kyrie, a steel gray gelding with black socks and mane and tail. Both horses stood quietly side by side. Grissom gave Kyrie a pat on neck as the little horse nickered a friendly greeting to him.
"Griss, do you have an article of clothing for the dogs to work from?" Iris asked.
"Yes, this was left by the father," Grissom replied as he held a shirt up.
Just then, Brass pulled up in an LVPD Ford Expedition. He was wearing jeans to Iris' surprise when he got out and approached them but she said nothing other than taking a furtive look and silently sighing. The man didn't wear jeans nearly enough.
"We're ready to go when you give the word, boss," Nick told Grissom.
"Be careful out there," Grissom said as Nick swung up onto his saddle and grasped the reins. Whiskey impatiently tossed his head in response.
Iris went to get on Kyrie as Jim stepped up to help her if needed. She climbed on in one fluid movement and slid her feet into both stirrups as she gave Brass a fond look. He patted Kyrie on the neck as the horse turned his head to nose at Brass' pockets. Jim gave Iris a questioning look.
"He's looking for a treat. Jim, what do you have?"
"Uh, I've got a peppermint."
"Perfect."
"So how do I give it to him?"
"Just hold if flat in the palm of your hand and he'll do the rest."
Jim did so and Kyrie eagerly lipped up the peppermint with gusto, causing Brass to comment, "Man, the dates I could get if I had that tongue."
Iris rolled her eyes and shook her head. Nick began laughing so hard he nearly fell out of his saddle while Grissom himself stifled a grin.
"C'mon, Iris, we're burning daylight," Nick finally said after his laughter had subsided.
"Griss, let the dogs scent the piece of clothing you have," Iris instructed.
Grissom complied and let the dogs out of the Jeep. He knelt beside them to allow them to sniff the piece of clothing thoroughly. Durante's head went up as he loudly snuffled the air and the cloth once more, as Cyrano mimicked his partner as well. Both dogs began to whine excitedly as they strained at their leashes which Grissom removed at this point.
The dogs went beside Kyrie who nosed both of the dogs in greeting. They promptly sat by Iris with wagging tails that raised little puffs of dust from the sandy soil beneath them. The use of horse and dog teams was beginning to gain in popularity for scent work, and they had only recently passed the trials required for her animals to be used for such work. Iris gave two sharp blasts on the whistle she carried, the command for the dogs to begin trailing.
Nick nudged Whiskey who took off at a fast walk, followed by Iris on Kyrie, as the bloodhounds sped past them with baying cries. They quickly urged the horses into a brisk trot as they headed up the steep hill toward the ravine as indicated on the map.
Grissom and Brass watched them go, wondering what awaited Nick and Iris.
Nick followed Iris as the horses made their way up the rocky hillside as the dogs preceded them, their baying cry ringing from inside the ravine as they changed to high-pitched yelps. Iris gave a sharp loud whistle three times, while Nick gave her a questioning look.
"I'm signaling the dogs to stop where they're at so nothing's disturbed," Iris informed him.
"You mean they won't try to dig or anything?" Nick sounded impressed.
"Well, that's a risk but those two have never failed me yet during a trial run," Iris replied confidently.
As they came through a narrow gap in the hillside, they rode into a high-walled ravine and quickly dismounted where the bloodhounds awaited them. Iris snapped leashes onto each dog while Nick tied the reins of horses to a tree that would shade the animals.
The dogs continued on with Iris as Nick walked briskly beside her. He often marveled at how she kept up for one who was on the short side, her gait reminding him of a wind-up toy dog. At the base of a large rock outcropping, the dogs stopped and sniffed the air urgently. A mound of recently turned earth was noted beneath the rocky projection. Nick took a series of photographs as he carefully approached, noting three sets of footprints in the sandy earth.
"I got the feeling some bad juju went down here, Iris," Nick commented as he came back for his kit to take casts of the footprints along with a small shovel.
Iris took the dogs back to the tree for them to wait with the horses, getting her kit from Kyrie's saddle then walking quickly back to rejoin Nick. She also helped him take casts of the prints while Nick radioed their initial findings to Grissom and Brass.
A dried deep red stain darkened the ground near the heaped-up earth, a spray of the same wine-colored fluid and light gray globs of dried tissue dotted the wall of the ravine above the ground. After photographing these two areas with Nick's camera, Iris took several swabs and applied a mixture of phenolphthalein and hydrogen peroxide and noted the deep pink color denoting this to be blood. She also took soil samples for further analysis. Nick now began the process of carefully shoveling aside the dirt.
After digging down less than two feet, Nick let out a low whistle as he uncovered a hand clutching a piece of pink satiny fabric. Iris took intermittent pictures as Nick continued to carefully scoop aside the soil from what was now a grave…and a homicide scene. Nick stopped long enough to radio the discovery of a body that the map had indicated to Grissom. Iris shook her head sadly as the rest of body continued to be uncovered. Nick's nose wrinkled as the smell of decomposition permeated the air, as he looked away a moment from the evidence of insect activity.
"Is it Jeremy Towers?" Iris asked softly.
"Can't tell, the body's in pretty bad shape," Nick replied as he reacted again to the odor of decay. "Sheesh, Iris, doesn't the smell get to you?"
Iris shrugged as she took out a small recorder take notes about the victim. "The victim is a fully clothed young Caucasian male found laying face-up in a shallow grave about 2 feet deep. The victim's hair is auburn, eye color indeterminate secondary to advanced decomposition. A scrap of pink satin-like material is found clutched in the right hand that looks like a sleeve along with what appear to be blondish hairs. Two bullet holes are readily apparent on visual examination, one in the forehead with an exit wound to the back of the head and another in the left upper arm. A small pool of dried blood was noted by the gravesite as well as blood splatter and possible brain matter on the rock wall above. Advanced decomposition is noted as well as evidence of insect activity. A large gold-colored class ring with a red center stone from the University of Las Vegas is present on the third finger of the right hand. The body will be sealed in a body bag and taken back to the lab for autopsy."
"Iris, let's try to see if we can locate either bullet," Nick said after their initial sifting of the grave's soil failed to show a bullet. They each stood up to begin a careful spiraling out search of the immediate area. Iris scanned the rock face above where the blood spatter had occurred, Nick doing the same as he moved to her right.
"Iris!"
"Find something?"
"I think so, but it's higher than I can get to."
"Here, boost me up."
Nick folded his hands as Iris carefully stepped into them and he pushed her up the rocky wall. She scrabbled for a toe hold with her boots as she clung to the lip of a rocky projection by where Nick had pointed. He kept his hands on her butt to stabilize her.
"Sorry, Iris!"
"No worries! I think I see what caught your eye!"
With care, Iris took a shaky picture of the bullet hole with a smaller digital camera she had and then used a gloved hand to remove a bullet from where it was lodged in a groove from its trajectory. Dried blood was still present on the bullet. Iris let out a whoop as she gingerly placed the bullet in an envelope and slid back down into Nick's waiting arms.
"There's still dried blood on the bullet, so let's hope it matches the victim!" Iris grinned up at Nick.
"Uh, don't tell Brass I had my hands on your rump, he'd probably string me up!" Nick joked.
"Only if he dusts me for fingerprints," Iris assured him with a faint smile.
Iris then went back to Kyrie to remove a large pack off the back of the saddle and returned to Nick. With great care, they put the body in a large canvas body bag that was placed onto a metal frame to travois the body back to David, the assistant coroner, was now waiting with Grissom and Brass. The plan had been to attach the travois to Whiskey, but the horse snorted and shied from the body much to Nick's displeasure.
"Okay, you're going to the glue factory when we get back," Nick fumed at his horse.
"Whiskey's a good search and rescue horse but I don't believe he's been used to bring a body back. I think Kyrie will do the job for us," Iris assured him as she went to lead Kyrie to the travois. The little horse stood patiently as Iris and Nick securely attached the travois frame to the saddle.
"Can he take all that and you back?" Nick asked doubtfully.
"Nicky, when your big stud of a horse is tuckered out this little guy will be good to go for some time yet," Iris replied with a wide smile exuding faith in her little horse.
"He's a game little fella, for sure," Nick's Texan drawl coming through before he radioed Grissom to tell them they were on their way out.
Nick helped Iris into her saddle before going to mount up himself on Whiskey. The dogs waited patiently for Iris' command of a sharp whistle to follow them as they headed out of the ravine.
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Grissom put his sunglasses on as he looked up the steep hillside for Nick and Iris. Brass did the same as he also scanned the terrain for sight of them. Grissom pointed as Nick appeared in their sight first as Whiskey nervously slid a bit as he came down the hill but Nick kept the now-skittish horse under rein and the horse calmed somewhat. Behind them came Iris on Kyrie, the smaller horse the picture of patience as he delicately bore his dual burdens. Durante and Cyrano at Iris' hand signal had raced on ahead to come sit by Brass who was by far their favorite person.
Nick stayed beside Iris though Whiskey was being a bit of a handful wanting to break out in a run. Nick tightened his reins and walked Whiskey in a small circle by Kyrie until the larger horse quieted down. His tossing head now the only sign of the larger horse's fretting. Kyrie remained steadfast at a slow walk with the travois behind him, seeming to sense that a stable pace was required of him.
Grissom and Brass walked up as the horses were stopped. Nick dismounted easily and waited on Iris. Brass had gone up to Iris as she swung over and slid from the saddle into his waiting arms. He looked down with pride at her as she smiled shyly back. David now went to check out the body after the travois poles had been removed from Kyrie's saddle.
"Hey, David, how's business?" Iris asked.
"Pretty dead," David replied before breaking into a smile.
Nick groaned but grinned at the same time at the pun, Grissom and Brass shaking their heads in unison.
"Kind of deadpan for you isn't it, David?" Iris asked as the men collectively groaned at her.
"Death is hereditary," David joked back at Iris, eliciting even more pronounced groans from Grissom, Brass and Nick.
"Hey, hey, hey, I can be humorous too, guys!" Iris exclaimed with mock severity.
"Seriously, I'd say he's been dead over a week but we'll know more after we get the body back to the morgue, " David said as he readied the body to be taken on to the coroner's office, where "Doc" Al Robbins would perform the autopsy for an official cause of death.
Grissom looked at his watch. "Iris, you better get the horses back to the stable. It'll be dark soon enough."
"Yeah, Griss is right! Do you want any help taking them back?" Nick agreed.
"Nope, I've got it and I'll see you guys back at the ranch, uh, I mean lab," Iris said with a slight giggle.
Nick helped her load Whiskey and Kyrie into the trailer and she then waved to all of them as she pulled slowly away.
"I'm heading out too, Gil, so I'll see you back at the lab where we can piece together what's going on while I call Sheriff Atwater," Brass said with a slight grimace as he gave Grissom a friendly slap on the back and climbed into the Expedition.
"See you back there, Jim. I'm calling Ecklie as well so we keep the higher ups informed and satisfied," Grissom agreed as he pulled out his cell phone.
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Upon reaching the stable, Iris parked her Jeep and went to unload the horses. She tended to Whiskey first and got him cooled down before putting him in his stall. The horse was owned by the Sheriff's Department for the Mounted Posse, and the person in charge of his care this month would be by later.
Iris then brought Kyrie out and took him to the round pen, slowly running the horse through figure eights to help him cool down. Unknown to her, Brass had pulled up on the other side of the stable, out of her sight and now watched her admiringly as she rode the little gray horse. His eyes widened as he noted she was riding without the use of reins. The horse responded to leg signals and verbal cues.
Reluctantly, Iris slowed Kyrie to a walk and then dismounted to walk him into the stable where, to her surprise but unspoken delight, Brass was standing there by the stall.
"Hey, Jim, what brings you out here? Shouldn't you be out catching bad guys?" She asked while removing Kyrie's saddle and blanket.
"I'm not due on shift until tonight, same as you, but thought I'd show up to watch you riding." Jim replied, trying his best to sound casual.
"Well, it's a nice surprise to see you." Iris said, wondering what he was doing out at the stable just the same.
"What's it called the way you ride…English, Western, American?" Brass asked, knowing he was in deep water here.
Iris tied the bridle reins and turned toward Brass. He could tell by her amused look he was not only in deep water, he was drowning.
"I ride Western." She stood with hands on hips expectantly.
"Uh, well, I just wondered how you'd ride me?" Brass asked suggestively with a faintly lop-sided grin, knowing he asked for shock value as much as anything else.
Iris slowly walked up to him and looked appraisingly at him from head to toe, hands still on hips and the toe of one boot tapping the ground for emphasis. She suddenly tugged at his belt buckle before sliding a hand into each of his jean pockets and burying them deep to have a good feel around. Brass let out a soft groan of surprise as her hands slowly circled around before moving toward meeting beneath his belt buckle. Iris stopped just short of centering on his quickly aroused nature.
"Bareback, yup, definitely bareback is the way I'd ride you," said Iris saucily with a coquettish sparkle in her eyes that bespoke more at the same time.
Jim's arms suddenly enfolded her and kept her hands trapped in his pockets, as he pinned her against the stable wall in a long, searching kiss that she fervently returned.
Kyrie's impatient nicker caused them to reluctantly end the kiss. He nickered again and tossed his head for emphasis, causing Brass and Iris to laugh. Iris stepped away to lead Kyrie into the stall, leaving behind a very surprised Jim Brass whose mind was astir with some very intimate thoughts and images of Iris.
Brass' cell phone rang and disrupted a nice little interlude he was imagining with Iris as he grimaced, preferring his train of thought to answering the phone. "Brass."
"Jim, this is Gil. Positive identification was just made by Anthony Towers on the body recovered from the ravine as that of his son Jeremy. The class ring and clothing matched. He's scheduled a press conference for early this evening along with Ian McGregor to appeal for the safe return of their children."
Brass sighed upon hearing the news. Iris was busy getting hay and feed for Kyrie as he informed Grissom, "I'm up here with Iris at the stable and I'll update her. Talk to you later."
Iris had finished her task and given Kyrie a final pat on his nose before she rejoined Brass. She gave him a questioning look as Jim hung up with Grissom. Brass went on to say, "Gil tells me it was the body of Jeremy Towers you and Nick found. Jeremy's father and Taryn's father will be having a news conference later."
Iris' eyes reflected her sadness at the news as one family had to accept the unthinkable and another family maintained vigil on the fate of their child. Jim moved to hold her close as she nestled against him.
"Come on, let's head back to the lab after you drop off the dogs at home and get Bryan next door to watch them. You grab some clothes and you can take a nap at my place as its closer to the lab and then ride in with me," Brass said persuasively.
"I'm in," Iris agreed.