Chapter 2: Steps In The Right Direction
When Grissom had disappeared from view, Catherine and Warrick stepped back into the lab.
"It's okay, Cath." he soothed, for he noticed that she was shaking. Suddenly, he wrapped his arms around her. "Grissom- he'll be fine. You know how he is. He'll bounce back."
Catherine nodded, shivering a bit. "Oh, Warrick, I know you're right, but it shook me up seeing him like that."
Warrick nodded, too. "It shook me up, too, Cath, but now that he's resting, do you wanna take a look at that tape?"
Catherine nodded again as they broke apart, and Warrick took the tape from her slowly. He tapped a few keys on the computer, and they listened to static for a few moments until they heard a crackle.
Catherine gasped. "We've got something," she said to Warrick as they strained to hear.
"Help me move her," said a gruff voice.
"Leave me out of it," pleaded a frightened one.
"You're already in it."
"Clancy! I knew it!" Catherine cried.
"Be patient, Cath," Warrick cautioned.
"Please, let me out!" begged the second voice.
"I said, "Move her!" ordered Clancy.
"I want out!"
"Tough! You're in!"
"You're not gonna push me around like this, Clancy!"
"Oh, I'm not, am I?"
Suddenly, they heard a gunshot, and Catherine gaspedagain as she jumped back, startled.
Warrick seemed to be reading her mind. "The second voice belonged to the second vic," he concluded.
Catherine nodded. "The one Greg found by the window, you mean? That's exactly what I was thinking."
"Let's go tell Grissom." Warrick urged, trying to curb his excitement. Catherine smiled at him, having forgotten how enthusiastic he could be when they got a lead. With that,he led her upstairs to the lounge, where Grissom was sleeping peacefully on the couch by the door. Catherine stepped toward him, Warrick at her heels, and shook his shoulder gently. He woke with a start.
"Gil, we got the tape enhanced," she whispered.
Hearing this, Grissom propped himself up on his elbow. "What did it say?" he asked.
"Clancy was ordering a woman to move our first victim, but she wanted out of the plan. Her pleading wasn't working, so, finally, she got brave and said, "You're not gonna push me around like this, Clancy!" He said, "Oh, I'm not, am I?" Next thing we knew, we heard a gunshot," Catherine replied.
Grissom nodded knowingly. "So, that means that our second vic was in on the plot, and she got killed when she tried to back out."
"But, Gil, some thing's wrong here."
Grissom cocked his head curiously. "What's that, Cath?"
"Why didn't Clancy try to hide the second body?"
"Maybe he heard someone coming and ran off," Warrick piped up.
"He heard me coming." Grissom said suddenly. "I went back to reprocess the scene."
"Grissom, man, what were you thinkin'?" Warrick asked.
Grissom shook his head."I don't know," he confessed. Suddenly, he paused. "Listen, why don't you two go clock out? I'll stay and lock up the lounge when I leave."
"You sure you'll be okay here?" Catherine asked in a concerned voice.
Grissom nodded. "Go on. I'll be fine," he told her with a reassuring smile.
Catherine nodded. "Okay, if you're sure." There was a note of reluctance in her voice as she said this.
"I'll be fine, Cath, I promise," Grissom repeated as he rose, patting her shoulder gently.
Catherine smiled at him, finally convinced that he'd be okay if she and Warrick left him/ "We'll see you tomorrow, Gil." She smiled again as they left the lounge.
As they climbed into Warrick's car and headed to Chauncey's, Catherine couldn't help getting butterflies in her stomach.