CSI Miami - The Unsung Hero - Chapter 3
By Celtic Lady
Calleigh was helping Ryan with the Serina Wilson case. They walked into the office at Serina's high school hoping to talk to Serina's friends.
"Hello, we're with the Miami-Dade crime lab and we need to talk to a couple of your students." Calleigh flashed a wide smile and her badge to the lady behind the counter.
"Your friends are already with some students in the principal's office." She showed little concern as she added, "Busy place today," then returned to her duties.
Ryan and Calleigh looked at each other puzzled as the principal's office door opened and Eric and Frank emerged.
Surprised, Eric asked, "What are you guys doing here?"
"I'd ask the same of you," Calleigh deadpanned.
Frank jumped in, "We're investigating a stabbing of a student. How about you?"
Ryan answered, "Death of a student."
Frank smirked and then replied, "That trump's my stabbing."
Eric and Frank left as Ryan and Calleigh walked into the principal's office and introduced themselves. "We're investigating the death of Serina Wilson and we need to talk to some of her friends."
"Serina? She's dead?" The principal dropped down hard in his chair in shock. "I can't believe it. She's one of our best students."
Calleigh handed him a list of two names, "We'd like to talk to these students please."
"Yes, of course. I'll have them come to the office right away." Principal Ratcliff left and had the girls sent for.
Upon their arrival, the questioning began. Ryan informed them of Serina's death and asked the standard questions but the girls were of little help.
"You do know who Serina was right?" Alana, the first girl, asked. "She's like a cop in training. Everyone knows she's gonna be a cop like her dad and then arrest all the creeps around this crummy place."
"Sounds like that could get her in trouble – especially if the creeps take her seriously." Ryan stated. He couldn't help but wonder if this could be a motive for someone to hurt her.
"She knew how to take care of herself," Tamaki, the second girl, explained. "Her father taught her how to shoot a gun and she took karate lessons after school. She was even having me teach her Japanese just in case she might need it someday on the job."
"Yeah, she was so good that if anyone at school had a problem, they'd come to her for help." Alana hid her face in her hands as she started to cry. "I can't believe she's dead." Tamaki placed her arm around her friend as they consoled each other.
Then, she looked directly into Ryan's eyes, "Serina was a hero. If you had a bully bothering you, go to Serina – she'd set them straight. She even talked one girl out of killing herself when the girl got pregnant. She just always knew what to do."
"Sounds like she would have gone far." Ryan felt a terrible loss in that someone so promising never got to shine. He only hoped that it hadn't been his fault that she died.
The quiet in the room was interrupted by Ryan's cell phone ringing. "Yes. Great! We'll be right there." He hung up the phone and thanked the girls for their help.
"Calleigh, our presence is requested in autopsy."
"Good. That means her clothes have arrived as well. I'll check the clothes while you check with Alexx okay."
--OO--
Ricky Martinez and Monte Garrison were brought in for questioning after it was discovered they both were absent from school. As the two sat in separate interrogation rooms, Frank discussed the case with Horatio.
"Our stabbing victim had some kind of altercation with these two. We don't know yet if it ever lead to anything more. We're about to find out if Eric ever gets here." Frank was annoyed by Eric's tardiness. "So do you think this case and Ryan Wolfe's case are related?"
"You tell me Frank. What do you think?" Horatio had considered it and wanted Frank's take on the situation.
"Two girls from the same high school – one winds up dead the other stabbed. Doesn't sound like coincidence to me." Frank placed his hands on his hips in a classic H pose.
"Well, let's go see what they have to say." Horatio opened the door to room one which held Monte Garrison. "Mr. Garrison, I understand that you had an argument with Tracy Adkins. She is now unconscious in the hospital with a stab wound." Horatio gave him a stern look. "Did you stab her?"
Monte's eyes widened at the accusation. "No! No Way!"
Frank joined in, "Then what were you arguing about?"
"Nothing. I . . . I already forgot what it was about." Monte looked nervous and he was starting to sweat.
Horatio looked at the floor, "If you lie to me, I guarantee there will be no deals. Do you understand?"
Monte nodded.
They left Monte Garrison to sweat over what they had just said and think about what had happened. Perhaps Ricky Martinez would be able to offer more.
"Mr. Martinez, do you know why you're here?" Horatio asked.
He shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."
"Tracy is in the hospital. She was stabbed." Horatio placed his hands on his hips before continuing. "You had an argument with her – what was it about?"
Eric Delko joined them in the interrogation room. "Tracy is awake. She told me everything."
Ricky jumped up out of the chair screaming, "It's a lie. Whatever she said is a lie."
Frank immediately muscled the kid back into the chair. "Sit down!"
Tears swelled up in Ricky's eyes as he again reiterated. "It's a lie."
Horatio motioned Eric and Frank out into the hallway. "Eric, what did Miss. Adkins tell you?"
"She said Ricky was molested by a teacher at school. It wasn't these guys who stabbed her, it was the teacher's boyfriend - another student named Curtis Long. Tracy had witnessed Miss. Simmons take advantage of Ricky and Miss. Simmons had seen her. So Tracy asked Serina Wilson to check into it because she was scared."
Suddenly, everything became clear.
--OO--
