Chapter 3

Ecklie walked over and introduced himself then explained what they knew so far.

"Who screwed up?," Mr. Mathews asked, "Kirk said that is was a routine assignment. One he had done a million times before. There was no need for this to happen."

Grissom knew just how he felt, "I know. My wife had done it a million times before also."

Annie suggested that they all sit, "There is no need to try to blame anyone, everyone on the force has had this assignment at one time or another, it's just one of those things."

Grissom's phone rang, "That was Catherine. They found the armored truck off of I-149. The team is on the way there now."

Ecklie looked at him, "The men?"

"The one in the back is dead, the driver is on his way here, he had been beaten," Gil said, "Hodges is on his way here so he can process and question him - that is if he lives."

Ecklie got on his phone and told then to bring the truck in to be processed. "We should have some answers soon," Ecklie said.

An ambulance pulled into the hospital.

"Is that the driver?" Mathews asked.

"No," an officer said, "And I think I can answer one question. WHY Johnson let them in the cab."

Grissom looked at him.

"That is Johnsons family, his wife and sons, they were found in an abandon car about a half mile from where the truck was found, they have been shot."

Grissom looked at Ecklie, "Someone must have gotten to his family and threaten to harm them unless he helped."

Ecklie nodded.

Andrea shut her phone, "Jeffery, I have been trying to get hold of Greg's new lady friend but I can't. I think she would want to be here."

Something Sara said came back to Grissom, he pulled Ecklie off to one side.

"Sara told me something didn't feel right to her about that relationship," he said.

"She mentioned that to me also," Ecklie said, "I told her she was being silly."

Grissom said, "Maybe it is worth checking into?"

Ecklie opened his phone, in no time he had a tem checking her out. As Ecklie was on the phone the ambulance, followed by Hodges, pulled into the parking lot.

Hodges walked over to Grissom, "The paramedics said he is out of it, I told the staff that I want his clothing but anything else has to wait till their done with him."

Grissom told him about Sara's feeling about Greg's lady.

"You know," Hodges said, "I never thought much about it but I meet Halley about a week before she hit Sander's car. I was in the store and she took my shopping cart by mistake. We laughed about it and she asked me out to dinner. We had dinner that night, we had made planes to go out the next night but she never showed up. When I called her she said I was not her type."

"Did you tell her where you worked?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah, she seemed excited until I told her that I was a lab technician," Hodges said. "I thought that would impress her."

"Damn, if we only knew where she lived," Grissom said.

"I dropped her at her apartment," Hodges said.

Grissom smiled and relayed the information to Ecklie who called the team investigating her and gave it to them.

Inside of Greg Sanders Apartment:

A team of CSI's had been assigned to process Sanders apartment to help get a line on Halley - who had suddenly became a suspect. "This might help," John Miller said, holding a condom he had found in the trash. He smiled, "Sanders DNA." "His is not the one we want," his partner said, "It's the outside contribution they need." Prints were lifted from several places. "It will be easy to eliminate Sanders prints," Bert Jenkins said, "He was printed like the rest of us."

CSI Lab:

Nick and Catherine came back with the truck, they were on their way to the garage when Judy stopped them. "I just heard from Dr. Ray. He said he would be here just as soon as he could," Judy said. "Has anyone heard how Greg and Sara are?" Nick asked. "No," Judy said. Nick swore. "Nicky," Catherine said, "We can help them best by focusing on finding out who did this to them." Nick nodded, "Then let's get to it, the truck is here and we need to get to work." "Let me know if you hear anything," Catherine said to Judy as she followed Nick to the armored truck.

Waiting room at the hospital:

"Grissom," Ecklie said, "The team is back at the lab going over everything they found. Jones and Green went to the address that Hodges gave me. The land lady identified the photo of Halley as Tessa Bennett, she said that Tessa and her husband, Kevin, moved out three days ago. I sent Carson over there to go through the place and see what he can fine."

"Seems as Sara's gut feeling was right," Grissom said.

Grissom jumped up, "BENNETT!"

"What?" Annie said.

"One of the last cases I worked involved a Bennett, a Rodger Bennett. Him and three others were busted for manufacturing meth," Grissom said.

"I remember Jim talking about that one," Annie said, "Bennett and his gang was sentenced to 4 years. Do you think there is a connection?"

"I don't know but I sure as hell plan to find out," Ecklie said. He then called Jones and Green and told then to pay Rodger Bennett a visit.

A bit later Nick and Catherine walked into the waiting area.

"The only prints in the truck belonged to Valley personal. The female DNA contribution on the condom that Miller found at Greg's place and the prints that Jenkins found match a TERESSA HALLEY BLACK She was picked up for hooking last year. She also served 2 years for insurance fraud, she would stage accidents and then collect the insurance money," Nick said, handing Ecklie a copy of the information they had found.

"The prints that Carson found in the apartment belong to Black and some wanta be drug dealer named…." "KEVIN JOE BENNETT?" Grissom said. "I hate when you do that," Nick said, "But yes."

David Phillips stuck his head in the door. "I was here to pick up a body when I got a call to pick up two male DB's their ID's match those of the men that rented the cars that were involved in that accident. Thought you would want to know."

Ecklie nodded, "Keep me posted."

Langston, who had been out of town on personal business walked in the room. "Catherine, Judy just told me what's been going on," Langston said, "What can I do to help?"

"Light a fire under someone's ass," Grissom said, "We have not heard anything since we got here."

Ray smiled, "I think I can do that. I still have a little pull around here."