Wednesday night / morning
"I checked the back of our bird man again." Doc Robins went from his Jane Doe to Sara's and Greg's John Doe, simply called birdman.
"There were no visible traces, I took samples of his back, send them to traces. To your idea with the rubber bands." He looked at Sara. She had told him her ideas that were running through her head in the early morning.
"If he was brought to the desert with a helicopter and let down with a rubber band, I couldn't see any evidence of that. It must have been a big rubber band to carry him, quite wide too otherwise it cuts itself in to body. What you said about the foil, maybe he was on one, in a trunk of a car or hidden on a pick up, the murderer drives to the dump place, drags the body on the foil over where you found it and leaves. No tire marks because he was on the street, the dragging marks are gone with the wind."
"Interesting idea, Doc."
"I'm quite fascinated by this man."
"We all are." Greg looked at Sara. "Let's got to Hodges, see what he has for us."
"Smug and arrogant comments."
"That's for sure." Greg grinned and walked with Sara to David Hodges.
"You mix a human DNA with a bird DNA, what do you need?" The lab rat greeted them in his usual arrogant voice.
"A talented fantasy writer" Sara answered bored.
"What do you not need?"
"You, Hodges. Like for most situations in life." Greg said dryly and got a smile from Sara. Yes, Greg was a fast learner, no wonder she loved to work with him.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Your birdman had a lot of sand on his back. Unfortunately nobody had a closer look for traces on his back before we got washed, I can understand, with the sight of the feathers."
"Hodges, get to the point." Sara cut the man off. She wasn't here for a long speech she wanted fast answers.
"There's a lot of desert sand on his back, just like the sand you took as a sample. But I managed to find something else." He stopped to make it more exciting.
"If you don't tell us on three what you've found I'll tar and feather you." Greg threatened.
"You spend too much time with her." Hodges wrinkled his nose. "I found some dust, not that kind of dust you find in the desert, it comes from construction sides."
"There're hundreds of them in Vegas. Can you narrow it down?"
"No."
"Great, thanks."
"It was my pleasure."
"Shall I call Sofia?" Greg offered.
"Yeah, call her over. I'll go and talk to Grissom."
Sara went to the office of her supervisor, knocked on the door and waited until Grissom looked up.
"Sara, come in."
"Hey Gil, I just wanted to give you an update on our case." She sat in front of his desk.
"You've got a lead?"
"Yes and no. Hodges found dust from a construction side."
"If you would be in a small town it would be a case breaker…" Gil smiled. Hodges always wanted to know, if he found the case breaker.
"…but we are in Vegas, here are more construction sides than anything else" Sara completed his sentence.
"Yes."
"I hope we would get at least a little help." She closed her eyes for a short moment. The headache was back.
"You alright?" Although they weren't together anymore, Gil still cared a lot for his former girlfriend and he could see, that she wasn't good.
"A little headache, nothing serious. Don't you dare to send me home because of this." She smiled.
"I'd never do that. What do you plan to do next?"
"Greg's calling Sofia, I think she'll come in later. I'll try to find out how many construction sides we have in Vegas."
"Doc Robins didn't find any dust in the wound?"
"No."
"So he got his wings probably not at a construction side. Whoever did that to the man, has at least a little bit of medical skills, a doctor, a medicine student, a nurse. The dust doesn't mean the body was from a construction side, it could be wrapped up in a foil, that was used on one."
"A murderer with medical skills, living not too far away from a construction side or having a spouse, son working on one."
"That all won't help much."
"No, but it's the little things that add up to one big thing." Sara and Gil grinned. That was a thing he had told her years ago. You collect a lot of little things and in the end you had one big thing. It's like solving a jigsaw, you find piece after piece, all don't show you what you have but at the end, you're able to see the whole picture.
Sara stood up to leave.
"Sara?"
"Yes?" She turned around.
"There's a seminar next month in Utah about criminal forensic, do you want to go?"
"Sure, who's coming with me?"
"I'm a speaker there. That okay for you?"
"Sure." She smiled. There were no hard feeling, she still felt comfortable around him, no reason not to go to a seminar with him. They were friends, friends could do that.
"Okay, just one thing?"
"What?"
He smirked. "Stop collecting overtime, otherwise Ecklie won't let you go. Try to go home on time the next weeks, or at least, don't go over five hours…per week."
"Gil…"
"I know you don't like it, but we both know Ecklie. Last chance to change your mind about the seminar."
"I'll be on my way home on time…if there's no break through in the case."
"You'll drive?"
"You bet." She laughed and left. Who would have thought she could have a very close friendship with one of her former lover? She had always respected Gil, she had always adored his work, there's no reason why that should have changed after their separation.
To her surprise Sofia was already with Greg.
"Hey."
"Hey yourself, I've got a name for our bird man." Sofia handed a file to Sara.
"Jared Joston, thirty, from Vegas. What did he do?"
"A few parking tickets, a few speeding tickets and he was with a group of teenager, that robbed a liquor shop. He was just a follower, got some community service and parole, was never arrested or got in any trouble again. Seems like that one time was enough for him. He was a nurse."
"A nurse?" Sara was interested.
"A nursery nurse."
"He's a guy."
"They can be kindergarten teachers too."
"Looks like. What's with his family?"
"Parents moved to Florida years ago, I called them. No siblings. No partner."
"We'll go to his last address?"
"That's why I'm here. And of course Greggo called me."
"My pleasure."
"What's about the construction side?" Sara ignored the fact that Sofia called Greg Greggo. Could she be his crush? Sara didn't try to find out who Greg's secret crush was since they had the new case. Was it the detective? Was she asking Sara all these private question because she wanted to find out how Sara stood to Greg? Was it a mutual flirting? Was Sofia Greg's crush and the blonde was aware of that, played a little bit with him? Or was she interested in Greg? Sara knew, Greg was watching Sofia whenever the blonde was around, but so did a lot of guys and Greg watched a lot of women.
"I'll do that later too. But there're hundreds of construction sites in Vegas. It will take hours to find them all."
"You're the detective, go and detect."
"Funny Sidle, very funny."
"Grissom and I agree on the fact that whoever gave the wings to our victim must have some medical skills."
"Is that supposed to narrow my search down?"
"No, that's supposed to be another big search for you. Doctors, nurses, medical students, you gonna meet so many interesting people, Curtis."
"I'll take you with me to each of them. Just to share to fun."
"Why am I the one who has to stay in the lab?" Greg complained.
"Coz you were a lab rat and you don't rip off Hodges balls and stuck them in his mouth when he's too smug, too arrogant and too much himself." Sara smirked.
"Maybe if you would do that he'd be not that big pain in the ass anymore."
"And I'd lose my job. Want that?"
"No."
"See. You can start with the construction side, have a look for doctors, nurses, medical students with a record, relatives that work on construction sides or who lives not too far away from one either."
"Lovely, thanks for that job, Sara."
"You'll be alright." Sara took her kit. "Oh and Greg?"
"Yes?" He was ready to take another job that would bound him for hours in front of the computer and was likely a death end.
"Concentrate on construction sides that are not in use at the moment. It's easier to get a foil from there without that anybody noticing."
"Okay."
"See you later."
"Later."
Sara and Sofia left.
"Who's driving?" Sofia asked.
"Me. If you are as annoying as you were this morning, I'll kick you out of the car and you can take a black and white back."
"Ouch, you're unforgiving."
"That and worse." Sara started the car. "Where are we going?"
"Henderson, 267 Miller Road."
Without any more words Sara got the Denali out of the car park and on the street. She could have sent Greg out with Sofia to avoid the detective but she hated nights in the lab. Sitting for hours in front of a computer, knowing she was looking for the famous needle in a haystack, so the detective was the lesser evil.
"You've got a key for the flat?"
"No but I've called a locksmith."
The locksmith was waiting in front of the house. Sofia flashed her badge and ordered him to open the door. Within a few seconds the front door was open.
"Let me secure the flat first." She stopped Sara who rolled her eyes. The guy was dead, he lived alone, whoever killed him had enough time to come here, take whatever was worth taking and left. But if Sofia wanted to play hero cop.
"Okay, clear."
"Surprise." Sara mumbled. She entered the flat and was immediately in the living room. An old couch, a little table full of empty pizza boxes, an old TV, bookshelves, stereo. The kitchen was in the next room. Dinning area, full of newspapers, no dishes in the sink, the fridge was filled with juice, fruits, vegetables, bread.
"Hey Sara?" Sofia called from the living room.
"Yes?"
"Remember what I asked you yesterday? About the book."
Sara walked back to the living room. Sofia was standing in front of one of the bookshelves.
"Which book?"
"Maximum ride. James Patterson."
"Oh, the bird thing."
"Ninety-eight percent human, two percent bird. Look what he's been reading. All books of this series and some others that look like they're about this topic. He has a lot of DNA and bird books in here."
Sara took a closer look at the books and took one of the books out, Sofia was talking about.
"Themes from Patterson's popular adult titles When the Wind Blows and The Lake House waft through this YA thriller, the author's first in the genre. Wood stars as Maximum Ride, 14-year-old leader of a band of kids who have escaped the lab where they were bred as 98% human and 2% bird (wings being a key component) and developed a variety of other-worldly talents. In Patterson's unusual universe, Max and her young cohorts are soon forced to rescue one of their own—a girl named Angel—from a pack of mutant wolf-humans called Erasers. Wood nails Patterson's often adult-beyond-their-years dialogue with a jaded tone. But the result of this pairing makes Max sound more off-putting than cool or intriguing.
You read this one?"
"No, I read 'When the wind blows' I think. The book, where the children get out of the institution, they were held in."
"Looks like our victim was more into this series. You could read the rest, maybe you'll find a clue."
"Why me? Why not you? You're the csi."
"You're into this stuff."
"I'm not, I'm just open-minded."
"Whatever, he was obviously into birds and human. Maybe he thought, he can make a fantasy story become reality. I'm pretty sure you'll find enough people in the internet, who fancy Patterson's fantasy and would try to create a human bird."
"If you have the idea of creating a human bird, the wings have to be bigger. An eagle is much smaller than a human, so you need something that can fly and is the size of a human and the wings of this bird."
"Albatross?" Animals were not Sofia's favorite past time.
"Big but I don't think big enough. An emu is big, it is big enough but on the other hand site, they don't fly."
"That leads us to the conclusion, humans can't fly because their weight is too big."
"So how did Patterson's humans fly?"
"It was in their DNA, the wings grew with the children, just like arms and legs do…do you think somebody is already mixing up human DNA with bird DNA?"
"I really don't want to know what crazy experiments are going on on this planet. People scare me."
"Maybe Jared Joston was the first test for our Doc Bird. He tried to connect wings to Jared, it didn't work out now he'll try it with DNA."
"Was Joston reported missing?"
"Two days ago."
"That was Tuesday. Let's say he didn't go to work on Monday, they report him on Tuesday missing. Plus two additional days of the weekend, he might have been kidnapped on Friday and nobody took notice until Tuesday. You've got an appointment with his work place?"
"Seven a.m. today. The first one I could get."
"Maybe they'll know a little bit more."
"Shall I bag the books?"
"Why not? Bag everything that has something to do with birds, human and how human can become birds." Sara sighed and went back to the kitchen. The food in the fridge came back to her mind. Fruits, vegetables, things birds would eat. No meat. She opened the cupboards. A lot of wheat, cereals, more bread. Was the victim trying to become a bird? Did he maybe ask somebody to give him wings? But that made no sense, he died before he had his wings. He had never a chance to enjoy them. Could you enjoy some wings of a dead eagle? How long would they stay on your back anyway? They were attached to the body with some medical yarn. But just because they are on the back, in the body, that doesn't mean, they're working. You can't glue a finger onto your hand if you cut it off. You needed to connect it with all the veins, the muscles, the skin.
"Got something?" Sofia was a few yards behind Sara.
"No."
"But?"
"Do you think we're looking for a killer with medical skills?"
"It sounded like that." Sofia watched Sara. She could see how the brain of the investigator was working and she tried to be patient until Sara was ready to share her thoughts. Not that easy for Sofia, she mumbled. She saw things, mumbled her thoughts quietly to get it better in her head, to find clues faster. Sara was the opposite.
The CSI turned and went to the bedroom without saying something.
Sofia rolled her eyes. Okay, Sara didn't want to share. She took the books she had bagged and brought them to the Denali. A birdman. In the book Sara had in her hand earlier was something written about wolf – humans. It seemed like they weren't talking about the ordinary werewolf. What could a wolf – human be? And would they find another human, maybe mixed with whatever of a wolf? Did somebody try to create a reality after a fantasy book?
She walked back in the flat and found Sara in the bedroom.
"No semen, no traces of a female in his life. I found some hairs, looked like his own, but I bagged it for DNA. More books about birds and human."
"Did he own any birds?"
"Nothing in the house suggests that."
"I gonna a have look outside."
"I'll come with you." Sara didn't know why but something in the house was creepy. She didn't like it when Sofia went out with the books, leaving her alone in the apartment. She tried not to think of it, tried to concentrate on her work but it was a relief when Sofia was back. No reason to tell her that, anyway.
They found a back door that brought them in the garden. A tree, a little bed and a huge shed. Locked.
"Wanna call the locksmith again?"
"No, I think we can handle that ourselves. Process the door so that I won't destroy any evidence."
"Yes, boss." Sara opened her kit. Sofia took her flashlight and moved it to the door so that Sara could see.
She took a few fingerprints, a few photos and stepped back.
"You gonna kick it in?"
"Like in TV? I live for moments like that, but no, I won't." Sofia took a lock pick from her pocket.
"Whoa, what's that, detective?"
"That's what happen when your mum is a cop and you want to piss her off by hanging out with the wrong kind of people. Brings you some trouble with the police, even more with your mum and some useful skills." She kneed down and a few seconds later the door was open. "No challenge."
"Does your boss know about your…special skills?"
"No but I bet Grissom knows all your special skills." Sara was thankful for that it was dark, she was very sure she flushed for a second or two. What does Sofia mean with that comment? What did she know about Sara and Grissom and the relationship they had? It was secret, they told nobody, and they were careful.
"Secure the scene." She tried to sound like she wasn't bothered by the comment.
"I will." Sofia took her gun and opened the door carefully. "LVPD, anybody in here?"
No answer. Her flashlight caught a light switch. The second the light was turned on, the two women see what was in the shed, a deafening noise started. There were birds all over the place. Small ones in cages you could buy at any shop. Big ones in a special cage, the victim must have built it himself.
"Shit." Sofia starred at the birds, trying not to cover her ears.
"I guess he had a bird or two." Sara ignored the noise and walked to the next cage. Four budgies were in that one.
"I'll call animal control."
"Wait!" Sara stopped Sofia.
"What?"
"First of all, you won't leave me alone in…this." Damn, why did she say that? She wasn't a pussy. But she really didn't want to be alone in here. "Second, I need your help. Now and quick."
"What for? You found something?"
"They're starving. There's no food, barely any water. We have to feed them."
"Isn't that against the rules? We're not supposed to…"
"They are alive, Sofia, they're suffering. I don't give a shit about the rules, they need food, and they need water. Now. Look in the cupboard, I bet there's food." Sara walked to the cupboard and found food. Without hesitation she took the first box, clearly for small domestic animals and threw a handful in the cage next to her. Sofia watched her going to the next cage and then moved. She took an empty bottle and filled it with water in the sink next to the door. Carefully that no bird could escape she filled up water bowls.
It took them almost five minutes to feed all the birds and provide water for them but after that it was almost quiet in the shed.
"Now you can call animal control from here and I'll have a look around." Sara took her kit. "I'll take the blame if anybody is pissed off because we fed them first."
"I can take responsibility for my own actions." Sofia took her cell phone. Animal control wouldn't be here until the morning, it was right what they did.
"Fuck!"
"What happened?" Sofia almost dropped the box of bird food when she heard Sara calling out.
"Just banged my head on a cage. It's not like I didn't have a headache already."
"You alright?"
"Yeah, I'll survive." Sofia stepped next to Sara, who was kneeling on the ground, collecting some feathers. "I didn't see an eagle, but maybe he had one and that one is gone because it was the other part of the human – bird – connection. I…"
"Sara, have a seat."
"What?"
"Have a seat." Sofia pointed on a chair in the corner.
"Why?"
"Would you please just do what I say? Just this one."
Sara closed the evidence bag and sat on the chair. Sofia stepped behind her.
"And now try to relax for a minute, close your eyes and think of…whatever, but not work, nothing related to work."
"What are you doing?" Sara didn't feel comfortable having the detective out of her sight.
"Shut up and relax." Sofia laid her hands on Sara's skull and began gently to move her fingers. She knew how awful it was to work with a headache, she had one herself. Maybe she could make Sara's disappear or at least make it lesser. With skilled fingers she moved from Sara's skull, to her forehead, to her neck. There were so many knots in Sara's neck and shoulder area, Sofia would need hours to make them disappear. No time for that, they could only take five minutes, that was all. This was still a murder investigation.
"Better?" She asked when she had worked her way back to the point where she'd started.
"Yes. Thanks." Sara turned around and gave Sofia a surprised look. "I didn't know you can do things like that."
"It's just a little massage, your body is full of tensions, I could spend two or three hours on it to lose everything up. You should relax more often, Sara. I'm surprised you've got only a headache with that back and neck."
"Where did you learn that?"
"My brother is a physio. I was his guinea pig, he practiced on me so that he could impress the girls later. I asked him to show me how to do it, he started to show me what I can do to myself, in case I've got a headache and then he started to show me the basic of massage. You can say, he had his school with tests, and he taught me all he learnt. I never took a course, never had an exam, but I think, it's alright for private use."
"It felt more than alright. Thank you."
"So your head is better?"
"It still hurts a little bit but yes, better."
"Good. I'll call an officer to wait here until animal control is here, when you're finished in here we can go back to the lab, bring the evidence in and go to the kindergarten."
"I promised Grissom to go home as soon as possible, means we should be as fast as possible."
"You promised to go home early?" Sofia raised an eyebrow.
"Ecklie is on his back because of my overtime and there's a seminar next month. If I want to join it, I can't collect more than five hours of overtime per week."
"You think you can do it?"
"Maybe. I might get a hobby for a few weeks." Sara grinned.
Sofia started laughing and called the department to send them an officer.