Hi. First of all a huge apology for taking so long to post this last chapter but life just got in the way a bit for a while!!! I hope you like the end of the story and thanks for all the reviews you have given for all the previous chapters. So here you go, the final chapter... soory if it's a bit lame!
The night after Greg had visited, Sara insisted Grissom go back to work and was not going to take no for an answer. He had taken three nights off to take care of her, and she truly appreciated it, but people would soon start asking questions and besides, the team needed their supervisor. Grissom for his part had of course ensured she showered, ate (admittedly only a little) and could make it from the bedroom to the kitchen and back without either throwing up or passing out. When she had proven herself capable of all these things he had finally relented and returned to work. And now as she walked through the halls of the Las Vegas police department station, nine days after her trip to the hospital, she found a strange sense of relief washing over her. Maybe it was because she was finally out of the house after over a week of recovery or maybe it because now she knew that it had all been worth it- they were going to get their suspect and lock him away for a long time.
"Sara?" Nicks familiar southern accent swept through her, forcing her lips into a smile as she turned to greet him.
"Hi."
"Hey girl." Warrick said, rubbing his hand down her arm. "We weren't expecting to see you here."
"Yeah Sara, how you feeling?" Nick said, wrapping his arms around her and giving he a gentle squeeze.
"Much better thanks." She smiled. "Not that it would be hard to feel much better than I did. I don't recommend going for a swim in the sewers anytime soon." This warranted a chuckle from both men.
"Yeah Sara about that…" She sensed from his tone that Warrick was about to make some rambling apology and cut him off.
"Warrick don't. It's my fault for being so clumsy." He smiled.
"I still feel like this whole thing is partly my fault."
"Well don't." She said again smiling. "Please."
"Ok, but only because you're being so polite about it." She smiled at him as he gave her shoulder a friendly squeeze.
"So what are you doing here?" Nick asked curiously. "Does Grissom know?" He added, leaning in and lowering his voice.
"Yes he knows." She laughed. "I was bored out of my mind sitting at home so I thought I would come and see you guys nail our suspect."
"Well we best not keep you waiting. Come on Nicky my boy let's get this show on the road." Warrick said, continuing on his way to the interrogation room.
"I'm glad your feeling better Sara." Nick called as he followed his friend down the corridor. "I'll catch you when we're done in here alright?"
"Yeah, sure thing." She said as she made her own way to the room behind the one-way mirror, eager to watch her friends at work.
"You know my doctor said I should be resting, this is not resting." James Matthews protested as he sat opposite captain Brass in the interrogation room. "You want to tell me what I'm doing here anyway?" He asked as Warrick and Nick walked in.
"I'll answer that for you." Nick said, pulling out a chair and sitting next to Brass. "All these guys," He said laying out the photos of all their victims as he spoke. "Are all dead."
"And?" The suspect leaned back in his char and crossed his arms.
"And we think you did it." Nick continued, mimicking the other mans pose.
"Well you think wrong."
"You sure about that?" Nick aid, sitting back up in his seat again. "It's just that you were in prison at the same time as everyone of our dead guys."
"I was in prison with a lot of guys. So what if some of them are dead?" He shrugged.
"So your saying you had nothing to do with this?" Warrick prompted.
"Yeah, I'm saying I had nothing to do with this." His voice was more threatening and aggravated now.
"Ok then Mr. Matthews, do you fancy telling us how you ended up in hospital?" Brass asked calmly.
"Why? What's that got to do with you?" He said sitting up right now.
"We were just wondering." Brass shrugged, looking over to Nick and Warrick.
"Well don't."
"Been in contact with any dirty water lately Mr. Matthews? A sewers maybe?" He shrugged. "It's just that we believe you got ill while you were dumping the body of one of your victim in the sewers. This victim here." Nick said pushing one of the photographs to wards him. James looked away and shrugged. "You know this guy?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yes I'm sure. Look I already told you, I was in prison with a lot of guys. You expect me to know all of them?"
"No just the ones that we can link to you by a sample of your DNA." Warrick said triumphantly.
"So what? What does that prove?"
"It proves Mr Matthews, that you killed these men. We found a gun at your house. The bullets match those used to kill all these victims. Your DNA was in one of their cars." He was silent.
"So what is it Mr Matthews, you formed an alliance in prison, then when you were out of the joint you got these guys to do your dirty work for you and when you were done with them, you just shoot them and dump the bodies? Is that right Mr Matthews?" Brass demanded. He was silent again for a moment, looking at the three men who were interrogating him. He knew they had him; there was no getting out of this. He sighed.
"You know what, you lot should be grateful. I took these guys off the streets…"
"They were committing crimes because of you."
"You must be stupid. You think they wouldn't have done it without me? They would have been robbing backs, holing up jewellery stores and breaking into old ladies houses without my help."
"So you're admitting you were involved, that you had an organised group of criminals…"
"Yes, yes I'm admitting it ok."
"Are you confessing to the murder of all these men?" Brass continued. There was a moment's pause as all the men eyed each other cautiously.
"I want a lawyer."
"You think a lawyer is going to do you any good now?"
"I said I want a lawyer." He said, more forcefully this time, his eyes narrowing at the prospect of not having his request granted.
"Ok Mr Matthews. It is your right to have a lawyer here, but you already know that right." Nick sighed.
"Your not making this any easier on yourself you know that buddy." Brass said, scraping back his chair and standing up. Warrick and Nick followed suit and the of them left the room, all disappointed that this was dragging on for longer than they had anticipated.
When they returned it was with a lawyer in toe and a new revelation with regards to their case.
"So then Mr. Matthews, it seems that some of your friends have continued with your good work despite your absence." The defendant only shrugged, as though the news of no interest to him. "But you see this time," Brass continued leaning over the table. "One of them has ended up dead without your help." He received another nonchalant shrug. "So has a young woman who was in the bank at the time of the robbery." There was a slight change in the man's hardened expression at this point. It could not be described as one of regret or sadness upon hearing this news, although an element of that was there, it was more of disappointment that all was not going to plan. "He four year old son is in hospital."
"Well what are you looking at me for? I was here with you. I didn't pull the trigger."
"No you didn't." Nick said simply. "But your little buddies didn't keep so quiet this time." His expression was now one of confusion. "We have them in the other room. They've told us what was going on. 'No one was supposed to get hurt' they said."
"Look, I didn't kill that woman."
"No you didn't. But you killed all the others."
"And you put the gun in the hands of they guy who did killed Miss Singer." Warrick added. "That was her name by the way, the woman from the bank. Single mother. Her husband was killed in Iraq last year."
"What, and you want to blame me for that too?" A look of utter disgust fell over everyone's faces as the lawyer lent over to his client and spoke quietly in his ear.
"I suggest you start talking."
When the shift was over, the team gathered in the diner for breakfast, all eager to relax after what had been a hectic few days.
"You enjoy that Sara?" Nick chuckled as she finished the last of her pancakes. She flashed him smile as she placed her cutlery neatly down on her plate.
"Yes thank you Nick. I think I'm still making the most actually being able to eat again!" He chuckled, leaning across the table to give her hand a quick squeeze.
"I'm glad your feeling better."
"Yeah me too." She smiled. "And now this whole case is cleared up I feel like things can get back to normal."
"Not until the end of the week they can't." Grissom smirked over the top of his coffee mug. She glared at him and gently kicked him under the table. "Doctors orders." He added defensively.
"Well," Catherine said, raising her own mug above the centre of the table and inviting the rest of the team to join her. "To good health." She toasted.
"Good friends and good health." Sara added with a smile.
THE END
