Two hours later found Brass and Greg waiting patiently for Sara and Grissom to join them at a small diner for breakfast. The CSIs entered the diner and immediately spotted the two men seated at a booth in the back. Grissom laid his hand lightly on Sara's back and led her to the table. Brass and Greg noticed them approaching and quickly slid over, giving them room to sit down. Sara fell tiredly into the booth next to Greg, while Grissom eased in next to Brass.
After the waitress had taken their orders, Grissom asked, "How'd it go at the motel?"
Brass let out a little chuckle. "You're not going to believe this. That sleazy place hasn't had any business in the last three days. I never thought I'd see the day when there would be a completely empty motel in Vegas. The night clerk didn't see or hear a thing. It seems he was napping most of the night. They have a camera in the office, so we pulled the tape and checked it out. He was out like a light from about midnight until three. He woke up, ordered a pizza, ate it and then took the garbage out…that's when he found the girl."
Grissom shook his head. "What about the dump sites?"
Greg took a sip of coffee, gave the cup a disgusted look and replied, "First site belongs to some company. Winston Enterprises. Motel is privately owned. There's no obvious link between the two. And before you ask, I managed to get lists of the employees from both places going back two years. No matches."
"Very good, Greg," Grissom complimented. "Well, Sara and I weren't able to find any links between the victims. Different schools, from different sides of town, different social circles."
Sara let out a frustrated sigh. "We're still nowhere…and I'll bet money that we'll be looking at the body of another dead girl tonight."
The three men nodded sadly in agreement and the group fell silent as the waitress arrived with their orders.
Greg excitedly pulled his huge plate over to him. "Oh, yeah! Come to Papa!" he said as he eyed the food. The plate was full with pancakes, eggs, hash browns, biscuits, gravy, sausage and bacon. He decided to start with the eggs and hungrily shoved a huge forkful into his mouth. The other three at the table sat watching him with a slight look of amusement.
"You gonna be able to eat all that?" Brass asked, while cutting into his chicken fried steak.
Through a mouthful of pancakes, Greg replied, "I'm starving, man."
Sara giggled at the young man while she spread some jam on her toast. Grissom silently watched her for a moment. The sound of her giggle was music to his ears and her small smile made his day a little brighter. He was starting to envy Greg's ability to lighten her mood. Forcing his mind off Sara and on to the details of their case, he took a bite of his omelet. He chewed slowly, thoughtfully, trying to figure out something more they could do.
Brass finally pushed his plate away with a happy groan. "That was the best chicken fried steak I have ever had." He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and began to fish through it. "Well, I hate to skip out on you three early, but I need my beauty sleep."
"You've obviously been missing a lot," Greg teased, finishing the last of his bacon.
"Watch it there, kiddo. I may be older and uglier, but I can still kick your ass."
Greg put his hands up in surrender. "No more jokes."
"Put your wallet away, Jim. Breakfast is on me," Grissom said.
"I should let you know that just because you bought me a meal it doesn't mean I'm puttin' out." Brass let out a loud laugh at Grissom's horrified expression, which quickly morphed into a glare. "Scoot your ass over and let me out of this booth before I die from that look your giving me." Grissom stood and let Brass out. "See ya tonight, kids," he said as he walked away.
Grissom returned to his seat. He sat staring at the table, his brows furrowed in thought, a frown upon his face.
Seeing him, Sara asked, "What's wrong, Grissom?"
Looking up to meet her eyes, he replied, "This case. If the guy was smart and left us no clues it would be one thing, but he's sloppy and we still have nothing. It's an awful feeling to think that you're being outsmarted by a moron."
Sara flashed him a small smirk. "Moron?"
"He left shoe prints, tire tracks, beer cans with his DNA, hair and skin on the first victim. Tire tracks and hair on the second. If he was smart and planning this out, we wouldn't have found the little evidence we did find. He's acting on impulse. He sees a girl he likes, picks her up, keeps her and tortures her for two days and then kills her, dumping her body wherever he can. The only thing that seems to follow any kind of form is the torture."
"So, you think there will be another victim?" Greg asked.
"I think so. And I think that he'll soon want more from his victims."
"Sexual assault," Sara stated, her voice cracking just slightly.
Grissom nodded his answer. He was about to ask how she was handling the case when Sofia suddenly appeared at the table.
"Mind if I join you?" she asked, not waiting for an answer before she scooted in right up against Grissom. He glanced sideways at her with a funny expression. He quickly scooted as far away from her as possible. It was a very uncomfortable situation considering who was across from him and considering the fact that if she had moved about two inches closer she would have sat on his lap.
"We were actually in the middle of something," Greg said, looking at Sara with a 'What the fuck?' expression. Sara's only response was an 'I don't know' shrug.
Not getting the hint, Sofia asked, "Were you discussing the case with the murdered girls?" She didn't wait for a reply as she continued, "Maybe I can help. You know, new eyes, fresh mind…"
"We have everything covered, but we'll be sure to let you know if we need your assistance," Sara said, plastering on one of the fakest smiles Grissom had ever seen.
Sofia didn't seem to catch the tone in which Sara spoke. Her statement didn't put her off one bit. The waitress appeared at the table with a coffee in a to-go container and set it in front of Sofia. "Well, I just stopped in here to grab a cup of coffee. I'll see you guys at work tonight." She looked Grissom up and down once before she left the table.
"What is with that chick?" Greg asked, peering out the window, watching her walk across the parking lot.
"I have no idea, Greg," Grissom replied.
"I mean she just comes in here and sits down without waiting for one of us to say it's okay…and she practically sits in your lap. And I think it was kind of insulting that she thought we needed help with our case," Greg rambled on. "You know, I've seen her in the lab when she's working with you. She's always all up in your personal space, or sitting on the table in front of you, or just outright flirting with you in front of God and everyone. She could use some classes in subtlety." Greg turned to Sara with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. "Sara, where did you learn all your subtle flirting skills?"
"It's a gift I was born with, Greg."
"What about you, Grissom? You're not too bad at the subtle flirting either."
"If it's so subtle, how do you know it's flirting?" Grissom inquired.
"Well, you see, when you've been around people for a while you just kinda pick up on things. If you only knew some of the things I've seen you and S—Owww!" Greg reached down and rubbed his leg where Sara had pinched him.
"That was a warning, Greg. You finish that statement and you'll be in real pain." Sara flashed him an evilly sweet smile.
Pouting at Sara, he mumbled, "Message received."
Grissom waved the waitress down and asked for the check. She left and quickly returned, sliding the piece of paper on the table as she walked by with a pot of coffee. Grissom looked over the bill and pulled out his wallet, he threw some cash on the table to cover the tip. "I'm going to head home. You two go home and get some rest," he said in a supervisory voice.
Sara followed him with her eyes as he walked over to pay the bill, and then as he walked out of the diner. Once he disappeared out the door she turned to find Greg smiling at her. "What?" she asked.
"You used to be a pro, Sidle, but that wasn't subtle at all," he teased.
Sara lightly punched him in the arm before she stood and slipped on her jacket. "See ya tonight, Greg."
Greg watched her leave the diner with a big smile on his face. After a moment, realization hit him and he jumped out of the booth and ran for the door. He caught Sara just as she was reaching her car. "Sara, wait!"
She turned and tried her best to fight a smile. She tilted her head down, looking at him over the top of her sunglasses. "Yes?"
Catching his breath, he responded, "You drove me here, remember? My sister's staying with me and has my car? So for the next few days you're my ride to and from work?"
Sara laughed. "I was waiting to see how long you'd sit there before you realized that."
"You're evil, Sara," Greg pouted as he climbed into the passenger seat.
"You want to walk?"
"Okay, you're not evil. You're the most wonderful, beautiful person I know. That better?"
"Well, it's a start," she replied as she pulled the car out of the parking lot and headed for Greg's house.