Hey Guys, here's the newest chapter. I hope you enjoy it. This story has been stuck in my head for the past two years, so I needed to get it down before it drove me insane. Please, I always appreciate the reviews. It helps to keep the creative juices flowing. I would like to hear your opinions on this fic. It's something very near and dear to my heart and I would love to find out if anyone else enjoys it as much as I do. Also please feel free to ask questions and I will try my hardest to answer them providing it doesn't give too much of the story away.
As always I own nothing except my original stories and Characters. Everything else belongs to CBS and the respective owners.
IronAngel 420
CSICSICSICSI
Grissom and Griffin exited the house and waited as Brass finished up with his people. As they waited, they watched as the body of Michael Barrett was wheeled out and loaded into the Coroner's bus. The door was closed and sealed behind him. Brass walked up to them a tray of coffee in his hand and his tear drop sunglasses concealing his eyes. By this time it was about 6:00 a.m. and the winter sun was already starting to rise, giving light, but not much heat. Brass handed a cup to Grissom and Griffin, and kept the remaining cup for himself. As Brass handed the cup to Griffin he frowned and asked, "Who are you?"
Grissom made a quick introduction, "Griffin Bauer, Captain of Homicide, James Brass."
"Pleasure," said Griffin with a slight nod of her head.
Brass studied the girl from behind his glasses and said, "Likewise."
Turning to Grissom he took a tentative sip of his coffee and said, "So I take it you want to talk to the wife?"
Grissom took a sip of his own coffee and nodded his head, "It's not that I doubt your abilities to take and recount notes, I would simply like to hear her account personally."
Brass took another sip of his coffee and looked over at Griffin who had also donned her black Ray Banns. Brass then asked Grissom, "She coming too?"
Grissom looked back at Griffin. The young woman showed no sign of emotion at all, her face was completely blank. Turning back to Brass he said, "Yes, she is."
Brass shrugged and said, "She's staying about a block away, with her mother-in-law."
"Okay, let's roll," said Grissom. He and Griffin got into the Department issued Denali and Brass climbed into his Taurus.
CSICSICSICSI
Five minutes later they pulled up in front of a white picket fence house. Griffin and Grissom got out of the car and observed the house as Brass parked his car, got out and joined them.
"You ready?" he asked.
Grissom and Griffin nodded. The trio started out for the house; Griffin noted a curtain flutter and the door opened as they reached the porch. In the doorway stood a tall woman with grey hair that hung loose around her face. Pearls hung from her long slender neck and she wore a dark blue, cotton, long sleeved shirt and white, three-quarter pants.
"You are with the police?" she asked.
Brass held up his badge and said, "Yes, ma'am we are. We are here to talk to your daughter in law."
"Vanessa is very upset...can't this wait until later?" asked the old lady.
"No, ma'am, I'm afraid every moment we wait is a moment that Kimmy stays missing," said Brass gently.
Mrs. Barrett's lower lip quivered and she stepped to the side and opened the door wider. The detective and the two criminalists entered the house. Grissom saw they had entered into the foyer and to his right was a small kitchen and to his left was the sitting room. In the living room the back wall was completely lined with windows, the frames painted white. The room was all white and blue with a large fireplace and high backed cushioned chairs. In front of Grissom was a stair case that undoubtedly led to the bedrooms.
"She's in here, Detective," said the old lady and entered the sitting room, "Please forgive her if she seems a bit out of it. I gave her something to take the edge off."
The trio walked over and saw that Vanessa Barrett was lying on the couch, her shoes kicked off and strands of her hair was pulling out of its neat bun. Vanessa was an attractive woman, with a small, shapely nose, full lip and sharp green eyes. She sat up as her mother in law ushered the group in and gestured for them to take seats. Grissom and Brass each took a seat on one of the four cushioned chars, but Griffin remained standing.
"Mrs. Barrett, we know it's been a trying day for you, but Dr. Grissom is from the Las Vegas Crime Lab and he has a few more questions, if that's alright with you?"
Vanessa Barrett sat up straighter and crossed her ankles, folded her hands in her lap and nodded her head for Grissom to start.
"Mrs. Barrett what time, exactly, did you come home last night?" asked Grissom.
Vanessa took a moment, her eyes on the ground and a small frown crinkling her eyebrows together. After a moment she looked up and said, "At around about midnight. I remember because the radio was on and the midnight news had just aired when I pulled into the driveway. I'd, um..." Vanessa reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'd been working late."
Grissom nodded his head then said, "Can you give me a complete account of the moments when you pulled into your driveway up until the moment you called 911."
Vanessa took a deep breath then said, "I got home, like I said, at midnight. I didn't bother to pull the car into the garage as I was going to leave very early for work the next day. I got out of the car and walked up to the front door. I got my keys out of my purse and unlocked the front door. That's when I noticed the door was unlocked. It's not like –" Vanessa's lip quivered, " – it's not like Michael to leave the door unlocked, especially so late at night. I went in and threw my purse and my keys onto the side table next to the door.
"That's when I saw the blood on the wall. I turned towards Kimmy's room, and that's when...that's when I saw...Michael. He was just lying there...I knew from all that blood that there was no way my husband could still be alive. My first thought was for my daughter, I ran through the living room and around to Kimmy's door. The room was empty and I even went through her closet hoping she was just hiding. When I was absolutely sure she wasn't in the house, I called 911."
"Good. That was very good, Mrs. Barrett," said Grissom. After a pause Grissom continued with his questioning. "Can you tell me why, when you got home at 12:00 p.m. you only called 911 at 12:40 p.m.?"
Vanessa looked shocked and said, "When I pulled up into the driveway, my uh, my assistant called and I was stuck on the phone with her for a while."
"Phone records will confirm that," said Brass.
Vanessa's eyes flashed to the detective and she said, a sharp edge to her voice, "Of course they will, Detective."
"Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt you or your family?" asked Grissom.
Vanessa looked up in surprise, almost shock and said, "No, of course not! Michael was the sweetest, kindest man you ever met. Everyone loved him. And Kimmy? Kimmy was such an angel."
"Anyone at work, perhaps?" asked Grissom.
Vanessa looked down and placed her thumb on her cheek and rested her fingers against her forehead as if warding off a headache, "No, I can't think of anyone."
"Maybe an old case you worked or a case you are working on now?"
"No, no, no, no! Look...Mr. Grissom? Is it? This is a waste of time! You people should be out there looking for my daughter not asking me questions you have already asked!"
Brass stood and said, "Mrs. Barrett we will and are doing everything in our power to find your daughter and the person responsible for killing your husband. Mr. Grissom is nothing if not thorough and I personally vouch that not he or his team will rest until Kimmy is found."
Vanessa let her head drop into her face and she began to weep. Her mother in law comforted her and Brass bent forward and placed a handkerchief in her hand. Griffin just stood next to Grissom, her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes never moving an inch from Vanessa.
Finally Vanessa took a deep breath and said, "Thank you, Detective, and you Mr. Grissom. I know you will do everything you can to find my daughter."
Getting up Grissom looked down at the woman and said, "Yes, ma'am, we will."
CSICSICSICSI
Grissom and Griffin walked in silence back to the car. Brass had stayed behind to wait for the rest of the team that would show up to bug Vanessa's phones in case the Kidnapper called with a ransom demand. Grissom was about to start the car when Griffin, who had been completely silent from the moment they entered the house up until when they had gotten into the car, said, "She's hiding something."
Turning in his seat Grissom looked at the young woman and asked, "How do you figure?"
Griffin stared out the windshield for a moment, her dark eyes hidden behind her Ray Banns, before she reached into her bag and pulled out an ipad.
"This probably isn't admissible in court, but it usually helps when questioning people," she said as her ipad woke up. Griffin tapped a few keys and her ipad responded by saying it was uploading information. When it was completed, Griffin angled the ipad so that Grissom could see as well. What Grissom saw was the interview that had just occurred.
"You recorded the interview?" asked Grissom in disbelief.
Griffin looked him in the eyes and said, "In the field of reading facial expressions and body language, there is this thing called a micro-expression that lasts about of fifth of a second, which is faster than a blink of an eye. So sometimes you can miss things. That is why the department I was with issued these tiny, little cameras that you could pin to your shirt and the interviewee would not know they are being recorded. That is why it is not admissible in court, but it can help you to see things you normally have missed."
"And did you miss anything in this interview?" asked Grissom still quietly seething, but seeing her point of view.
"Not that I know of, but I did pick up some interesting things. Check this out," said Griffin, fast forwarding to where Grissom asked Vanessa what time she had come home.
Vanessa took a moment her eyes on the ground and a small frown crinkling her eyebrows together. After a moment she looked up and said, "At around about twelve p.m. I remember because the radio was on and the midnight news had just aired when I pulled into the driveway. I'd, um," Vanessa reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'd been working late."
"Did you see it?" asked Griffin, pausing the footage.
"See what?" asked Grissom confused.
Griffin sighed and rewound, "Watch closely."
Griffin pressed play and the same clip played again. When it finished Grissom sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I still don't see it; whatever 'it' is."
"Look at her eyes when you ask her to recall what time she came home. When a person is recalling a story their eyes will drop to the right almost unconsciously, if they drop down and to the left it is a classic indication that they are lying, because they are trying to fabricate, or recall a fabricated story."
Grissom frowned and said, "But her eyes dropped to the right, which means she was telling the truth."
"Exactly. Now, watch when she says she was working late," Griffin played the clip again.
...I'd, um," Vanessa reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I'd been working late."
"Not only does she look down to her left, but she also touched her face," said Griffin.
"She was brushing a strand of hair from her face," countered Grissom.
"No, she wasn't. It's the universal expression for shame. Whatever she was thinking of, she was ashamed of it. The same thing happened when you asked her if she knew of anyone who wanted to hurt her or her family. Like it or not Grissom, she's hiding something," concluded Griffin.
Grissom was quiet for a moment, absorbing the information Griffin had given him. If Vanessa was hiding something, it could impede their investigation. As assistant DA she knew that by hiding something from them, she could be charged with obstruction of justice. At just that moment Griffin's phone beeped and she pulled it out. She checked the text that had come through and frowned.
"Something wrong?" Grissom asked.
"Remember that mark we found on Michael's neck?" said Griffin still frowning at her phone.
"Yes, it looked like a backward 'r'," recalled Grissom.
"Right; I was running it through a few databases, you know FBI, CIA, and-"
"Wait, you released that information to another department?" snapped Grissom.
"Are you always this irritated?" Griffin asked in an equally irritated voice. "Or am I just catching you on a bad day?"
Grissom's eyebrows shot sky high as he regarded the young woman before him.
"I am a CSI 2, remember? Of course I wouldn't release the information to anyone!" growled Griffin.
"So how did you manage to run it through these databases?" Grissom asked, still sceptical of Griffin.
At this the young CSI gave a sly smile and said, "I have my ways; and I'm very good at what I do."
Grissom gave a half smile before he said, "Okay, so what were you going to share before I so rudely interrupted?"
"I got a hit."
"You did?!"
"Yes," said Griffin, "From the FBI. Here is where it gets sticky though. The case was classified. I couldn't get in. And if I can't get in, then no one can."
"I believe you," said Grissom. "I wonder what the FBI is hiding."
"I think we are about to find out," said Griffin in a dark tone. Grissom glanced at her and he saw she was staring out the windscreen. Grissom turned his head and saw three black SUVs pulling up in the drive way.
"Suits," spat Grissom as he got out the car. Griffin followed on his six as Grissom walked up to a slimy looking man with thin blonde hair.
"Special Agent Culpepper," said Grissom through his clenched teeth.
"Gil, my friend, it's good to see you," said Culpepper, the sarcasm practically dripping from his honey soaked words. "I hope you are well, how's the team? How's Sara?"
Grissom felt Griffin stiffen beside him as Culpepper said Sara's name with such disdain.
"She's fine. No thanks to you," said Grissom, trying his damndest to give Culpepper the satisfaction of seeing that the FBI agent had gotten to the CSI.
"I see you have a new addition to your crack team," said Culpepper as he turned his leer on Griffin. He held out his hand as he greeted her, "Special Agent Rick Culpepper."
Griffin just continued to stare at him from behind her dark Ray Banns, not even bothering to acknowledge him.
"Aren't you a ray of sunshine," said Culpepper as he withdrew his hand and once again turned to Grissom.
"What are you doing here, Culpepper?" Grissom asked.
"Well," said Culpepper as he lit a cigarette and took a drag, "Someone hacked into our database and tried to access a classified file a few hours ago. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that would you?"
Grissom remained silent.
"Anyway," continued Culpepper, "We heard about your case and it coincides with ours. So we will be taking over the Barrett case."
"Like hell you are," snarled Grissom as he lunged a step forward, but Griffin grabbed onto his arm and held him back.
"It's already done," said Culpepper as he stubbed out his cigarette, "But it was nice to see you again, Champ."
With that Culpepper winked at Griffin and walked off into the house.
"We're not giving up are we?" Griffin asked.
"No chance in hell," growled Grissom as he and Griffin returned to the Denali.