Chapter 4

"You look a little tired Sage."

Sage glanced over at Greg as she shared the workspace in the DNA lab with him and gave a slight smile. She liked hearing her name coming from him and it dispelled the events of the last five hours or so. "New place. Gotta get used to it." She shrugged her shoulders to indicate that it was no big deal.

At that moment Warrick came in and took one look at Sage's face and teased, "Now I you didn't get tired of us already after one shift."

"I was tired the moment I realized I would be seeing you," Sage teased back. She gave a slight stretch and added, "Rough night but I'm good. Just helping Greggo with a few samples. We should be getting a reading right about… now."

On cue, the machine dinged and printed its report. Sage sat back while Greg took the paper. His eyes opened wide as he said, "Wow. I never thought you would be able to get a read off of that small a sample."

"It's nothing."

"Nothing my ass," Greg replied. "I usually need a bigger sample to get a good read. This was… awesome." He handed the sheet to Warrick. "There's your makeup. Give me something to compare it to and you got money."

Warrick wasn't too sure about what Greg was talking about but he could tell that he was smitten over Sage. Well at least they had something. "Thanks Greg, Parker."

"Hey just gave a few pointers," Sage replied as she adjusted the rolled up sleeves of the lab coat she was wearing. "Greggo's the chemist."

Warrick gave a hand signal and went to deal with his case leaving Sage and Greg in the lab. She made a slight sound and stretched. "Nothing like a DNA read to brighten a shift. Maybe I can pick up where I left off on my plant DNA exercise."

"Plant?" Greg sat back as he started in on the next caseload after writing his report. He glanced at Sage who seemed content on helping this time around. She helped load the GM Spec.

"For practice. I can pretty much identify a plant by its DNA and can tell you where it came from. Really handy at times much like Grissom's bugs," Sage replied as she finished loading the GM Spec. She gave a signal to say that it was good to go.

Greg grinned, "Sweet. Maybe you should give lessons to the techs."

"Stepping on toes with that. Lesson number one, don't do that." Sage grinned as she removed her gloves. At that moment her pager beeped. It was from Doc Robbins. She had yet to meet the man but she found herself looking forward to it. "Looks like Doc is ready with my DB."

"Your DB?" Greg teased.

Sage gave a playful smirk as she hopped down from the stool. She was still wearing her coat as she made her way down to autopsy and sort of bouncing on her feet as she walked down there. She didn't care if people were looking. It was just another day and her mood lifted enough for her to really wish David a good day but it almost soured completely the moment she opened the door.

Nick was already there and Doc Robbins was just getting started. Sage calmed herself and became polite. They may not like each other but they still had a case to work on. She greeted Robbins, "Hello Doc. You have something for us?"

"Well I can say for definite that your guy was killed by a .45. Fished this out of his pericardium," Robbins replied as he handed her an evidence bag and noted the unusual attire for a CSI.

"Might be a match with the casing we found," Sage muttered as she looked at it. She frowned and asked, "Doc, what about this discoloration?"

"No idea. Nothing in the body to indicate that it caused it. I sent a sample to trace."

"You know something?"

Sage looked at Nick. At least that was somewhat polite. "Found something similar on the casing. Continue please Doc."

Robbins had been observing the pair and noted that they appeared to not like each other very much but both were striving to be professional. It was comical in some way but not completely. "Abrasions on the knuckles indicating that he was in some sort of a fight and some bruising hours old before he died and mostly to the face."

"So our guy got into a fight and then someone shot him?" Nick looked at the doc with a questioning look.

"Probably or it escalated from a fist fight but that is not what is interesting," Robbins replied. He then walked over to where the head of the victim was. He pointed at some raised scar tissue near the temple. It was a series of complex patterns. "This I found after cleaning the body. It is not recent but fairly old, probably several years' worth."

Nick frowned at it, not realizing that Sage had gotten in for a closer look. "What is it?"

"Don't know but it looks like torture."

"It's cicatrization," Sage entered. She adjusted her set of gloves and moved to lean in more. At Robbins' prompting, she explained, "It's a form of body modification where the skin is deliberated damaged to create scar tissue and usually in a complex set of patterns."

"Thinking it's a gang affiliation?" Robbins asked.

Sage peered closer. "No. Mostly it is for aesthetic, religious or social reasons and tends to be more visible on darker skinned people. Now if I can just…" She used her glove to trace along the patterns on the face. It was difficult because of the swollen tissue but she managed to feel the raised scar through the glove and on her finger.

Looking up, she saw Robbins looking at her and she didn't bother looking at Nick. She said, "Cicatrization methods differ but for the most part, the idea is that the scar is raised like keloid or hypertrophic scars. They are simple due to the unpredictable nature of scarring. Now traditionally African tribes did this to denote major changes in life like puberty, marriage or even as a form of identification with the tribe."

Sage finished finding the length of the scars. Now that she knew how big, they needed a photograph. She looked over at Nick and said, "Stokes, you got a camera?"

Looking back at the body she began manipulating the face to get a good look of the scar. "Now if we get a good one and compare it to known documentation of scars, we might have some way to ID this guy." She made an adjustment to the face so that it would show up on camera and moved to make sure that her arms were not in the way of anything while Nick was getting the camera. This was interesting since cicatrization was rare. Tattoos were much more common.

"You know we could just show his picture around," Nick deadpanned as he came back with a camera.

"Scars are just as identifying," Sage shot back, not looking at Nick. He was getting an early start today. "Besides I'm thinking that our vic may be from a voodoo community."

"And how did you come to that?" Nick snapped a couple of photos. "Farfetched theory?"

Sage released the vic's face. She glanced at Robbins who was not saying a word until he said, "Might not be so farfetched."

Sage raised her brow at that. "Really? You find anything else?"

Robbins nodded. "David found this on his person. We weren't sure what it was but there seemed to be religious connotations." He reached over and pulled out a small item. "This was around his neck. Must've worn it."

Sage nodded, "He would've." She took the evidence back and looked at it. "Looks like I got a little research to do." She took off with the evidence leaving Nick and Robbins there. She was back to say, "Oh nice to meet ya Doc and thanks."

Robbins couldn't help but give a slight chuckle. "You're welcome." He turned to look at Nick who was looking in the direction she had gone and holding the camera.

"Yo Nick. I heard about what happened in autopsy."

Nick turned to see Warrick walking beside him as he was heading to find his wayward partner to give her the photos. "What did you hear?" He felt he was going to regret it but he had to ask.

"That Parker left you holding the camera and the autopsy," Warrick was trying hard not to laugh.

Nick made a slight face, "She found something and took off with it." He could tell that Warrick wasn't buying it. "It's true. She found a lead and decided to get a move on it."

"Okay, but aren't you the primary on this?" Warrick looked at Nick and watched the telltale flush appear.

"That's not the point. We're working the case…"

"You mean she doesn't give a damn. You could be supervisor and she would still do the same thing."

Nick pursed his lips. He disliked gossip but this wasn't gossip and Sage Parker just got under his skin. "She's infuriating, man."

"I can tell bro," Warrick replied not at all sympathizing. He had hung out with Sage and she was anything but irritating. She was more like Grissom when she was on the case. He was sure that Nick knew that but for some reason wasn't seeing it. That's what made it funny.

"Sure ya can," Nick shot back. "You're not the one that had to watch her sweet talk her way with Vega and then autopsy."

"You know she's not a rookie. She's done this before," Warrick pointed out unnecessarily.

"She drives like a rookie."

"And here I was thinking that being able to drive in D.C. was a good thing."

Nick took a long look at Warrick. He could tell that he wasn't going to get any sympathy from his friend what so ever. He gave an annoyed look, "You're enjoying this aren't you. Trust me, she has a way of making you feel like you're stupid."

"Are you sure that it's not a case of you putting your foot in your mouth?"

"That just proves that you were suckered."

Warrick looked at Nick. It was highly unlike him to act like he was paranoid about something. "I was suckered?"

"That sweet charm and politeness," Nick explained, aware that he was sounding ridiculous. "Plus she has that know it all attitude. It gets under your skin."

Warrick pretended to think about it a little. He really thought this was farfetched. Still he would humor Nick and in the process get a few laughs. "At least she's working the case right? Hell she was in the lab earlier helping Greg and it was for my case. What's the problem?"

"I just told you. She gets under your skin."

"Didn't she apologize?"

Nick was quiet for a moment. He knew he was pouting when he replied, "She did."

Warrick couldn't help it. He laughed out loud once he figured out what the problem was. "Oh man I do feel sorry for you," managed to say and started walking.

"No you're not."

"I am." Warrick replied with a grin. He was not going to enlighten Nick on this until it became old and at this rate, it was never going to be old. He did relent and added, "She's not that bad. Greg said she was a genius, well implied it."

"And Greg still flirts with Sara," Nick replied as he looked at his case file. He looked at the photographs of the scarring. "So no surprise there."

Warrick shook his head and looked at the scarring. "Whoa, somebody torture this guy?"

"Not according to… her," Nick replied as he closed the file and started walking. "She wants a lead in fairytales, fine. She'll get it if she's where she's supposed to be."

"Try Greg?" Warrick asked the question innocently. He had seen her walking around the lab as if looking for something earlier. He had never seen anyone almost literally fly while on a case even while carrying some books that looked like they weighed a ton. He did know where she was holed up in and had pity on Nick. "She's over there," he pointed out. "I'd watch out and knock before entering."

"Then why don't you knock since you seem to know her," Nick countered, not amused by the whole thing but started walking in the direction Warrick pointed out. He hoped she was doing something more than just polishing her nails.

"I would but this is your case. Or wait, whose case is it?" Warrick looked at Nick as if he should know. Relenting at the frown he was getting, Warrick knocked before he opened the door.

Sage heard the knock followed by it opening and guessed that it was not Nick coming in. She really didn't see since she was busy on the phone listening to the conversation. On the table she had one of the numerous books she had borrowed from Grissom and other places and her finger was pointing at an image. She was nodding while comparing that to what she had picked up from autopsy and verifying a few things.

Warrick said nothing but watched as Sage finished her conversation with whoever she was talking to. He noted that Nick was staring more in a stone faced manner and suppressed the grin. He whispered, "I'll just leave now that it's safe."

Nick scowled as Warrick left. He turned his attention back to Sage who was finishing her conversation. "You done?"

Sage glanced at Nick and finished, "Merci." When she hung up Nick was still staring at her and she shrugged her shoulders, "What?"

"Chatting with your girlfriends?"

Sage narrowed her eyes. The tone was not one to her liking. "No. I was verifying something about this talisman our victim was wearing. I had to call an old friend who knows a thing or two."

"Running up the bill?"

Sage said nothing but pointed out the evidence, "This is a gris-gris, a talisman. I was right in that our guy might be of the voodoo community. My friend is a priest and he was describing to me what kind it was." She paused and noticed that at least Nick was listening. "This particular gris-gris is really old and true voodoo for protection."

"So I guess you don't need these then," Nick held up the photos, "Since you know about his stuff."

"I'm from Louisiana you overgrown Texan jerk," Sage replied.

"Big surprise there." Nick had just stood there looking at Sage trying not to react to the near name calling she was dishing out.

"You know here's what I've been working on and you can have it," Sage countered and shoved the gris-gris over. "Ya have what ya need so go find out more. It is your case," she finished mocking his drawl even though it sounded funny in hers. She then took off the lab coat and threw it at Nick and walked out.

The evidence garage seemed like a good place to work off the steam. At least there was plenty of room to pace and that was what Sage was doing. She ignored the other CSIs working on their evidence and just paced. It was just as bad as the months before she left Metro after everything that happened but at least she didn't care what was said about her. She cared about the reputation of the lab.

He is infuriating. Why is he goading me like this?

Normally Sage wouldn't care since she had met her fair share of egotistical men. Even her partner in Metro was initially an ass when they first met and teased her horribly about her Southern roots. She called him a damn Yankee and dished it back. Then they had good working relationship. This was just… She didn't know what to call it so she did what she did best and that was think about the case and their evidence so far.

Still pacing she worked out the evidence they collected. They had a dead guy that had been shot with scarification and a gris-gris. He had been beaten in the face and his knuckles indicated that he struck back. It looked like it was that he may have wandered in the wrong neighborhood and people didn't like him. There was the possibility that it was a hate crime. There certainly was that theory. Then there was the bloody knife she found at the scene and the footprints.

That indicated the suspect but possibly injured. It could be that the victim brought a knife to a gunfight. That meant that a fight was expected. This thing would make much more sense if there were a clue as to the ID of the vic. All they had were ties to voodoo and it was a long way from home in terms of the heartland and all that. Yet this was Vegas and it was sort of expected that the strange and unusual hang around. Hell she had seen stranger in the French quarter in New Orleans.

She continued pacing, not noticing she was being stared at and at this point not caring. She may have handed everything to Nick but she was still assigned to the case. She couldn't help but work the case. Her old partner once told her she was a bull dog when she got onto a case especially one that perplexed her.

"Are you intending on wearing a hole in the floor or is it a quirk of yours?"

Sage stopped pacing and looked up and saw Catherine watching. It was then that she noticed people looking and then suddenly going back to work or doing whatever they were doing. She looked at Catherine and replied, "Just a quirk. Working the case."

Catherine gave a look like she didn't believe a word of that. "Uh-huh. And here I was thinking that it had something to do with your assignment."

"Learning process," Sage replied as she stopped pacing and walked towards Catherine. She didn't want to air this in public. "Personality clash."

Catherine had to hand it to Sage in that she was good at maintaining a professional air even when things were not going so well. "I can see that. I figured since Grissom assigned you to that gunshot victim."

Sage felt her lip twitch. She repeated, "Personality clash." When that failed to get Catherine convinced, she added, "That and too many years being a supervisor and used to taking charge. Used to being a one-man forensic team."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," Catherine replied as she led Sage out of the evidence garage. "Grissom wouldn't have pushed for you to be on graveyard if you weren't a go-getter. In fact you have some of the techs willing to fall over their feet to help you out. You've got Greg under your thumb."

"And I hear that day shift is pushing to get me," Sage replied with a slight smile. She sighed as she walked with Catherine. "Reminds me of the offers I used to get. Good riddance."

"Sounds like there's a story behind that," Catherine replied.

"Stories are what people seem interested in," Sage countered. She stopped by the receptionist desk and looked at Catherine. "I appreciate concern but we'll work it out. Like I said, it's a personality clash and just getting used to being on the bottom of the totem pole again." She gave a smile to show that she meant it.

Catherine studied Sage. She had heard from Warrick that she had good work ethic and a vivid description of how she seemed to fly when she worked. She heard that Sage had even put Greg on a fast track with the DNA samples on the other cases. "You sure? I know Nick can be a bit stubborn once he gets his back against the wall. I can talk to him."

"Not a good idea," Sage replied quickly. She had picked up a couple of messages that had been left for her. It was a bit strange since she was new there and she was certain that she wouldn't have any and most people just had to look for her. "I'll take care of it."

Catherine observed as Sage read her messages, "You sure?"

"Trust me," Sage replied looking up. "Southern wars… not something you want to interfere with." Studying the two messages she put one in her pocket and the other she tore up. Seeing that Catherine was looking at her with a raised brow, she said, "Nothing related to the case. I'll handle it and priority is the case."

"Okay but if you need anything…"

"Thanks Catherine," Sage replied. She crinkled the ripped pieces and dropped them in the wastebasket nearby. "Excuse me but I need to get back. Seems like we may have a lead." She turned and headed towards where Nick was waiting.

She found him and he was finishing with the kits. She pulled out the note and held it up, "You called?"

Nick looked at Sage leaving his hand on the kit. "I did. Figured it was easier to leave a message. You know. Sooner or later you might fly in." He moved his hands in a slightly nocking gesture.

"I see that rumor is flying well," Sage offered in an attempt to be polite. "So, what do you need?"

"Well, you uncovered the voodoo lead so you're gonna run with it," Nick replied, "Unless you want to get off this case or quit."

"I don't quit a case," Sage replied. She put the note back in her pocket and added, "So I'll follow through. I am assuming that Detective Vega was given particulars too?"

"Ready to go when you are," Nick replied.

"Fine."

A/N: Looks like things are as they were yesterday but a sort of truce has been called. Let's see how long that lasts. Stay tuned for next time on Sage Business...