Finding his Heart Part 9
Scene- Season 1 Episode number 22, 'The Strip Strangler'
Song lyrics- Theif - Our lady Peace
I can't see that thief
That lives inside of your head
But I can be some courage at
The side of you bed
I don't know what's happening
And I can't pretend
But I can be your, be your
Sara walked slowly in the back of the supermarket staring blankly down the aisles that she passed by. She didn't want to draw so much attention that she looked like she came into the
store just because but she did want to get the killers attention. As she walked she looked at each person she saw, mostly older women she knew that this was going to take some time,
it had already been three hours. She was holding a grocery basket; she had filled it with bread and apples just so she wouldn't look suspicious. "I wish Grissom was with me." Sara
thought, it had just come into her mind. She continued walking, her heart pounding fast with ever step.
Grissom and Culpepper were inside the tech van watching five monitors that had Sara displayed on each of them. Grissom was growing impatient he had checked his watch; it had been
three hours and no Strip Strangler. "This is ridiculous." Grissom thought as he waited and watched as patiently as he could.
Sara kept walking at her slow pace, she walked passed an aisle were a man was standing next to his cart as he put in a few bottles of ketchup. Sara stopped to look at him, maybe this is
the guy, she kept her eyes on him, and she needed his attention. She finally got it. He looked at her for quite some time, "Maybe this is the guy." Sara thought. She was about to head
down the aisle until she saw a woman come from around the corner holding a can of peas; she put it in the same cart. "Damn it." Sara thought as she started walking again.
Culpepper lifted his arm to check is watch, he coughed before he started to speak, "Oh…it's three hours extended. Maybe we should reposition over at the Borders book store. Gets a lot
of foot traffic in there according to the field agents."
Sara was in an aisle now, staring and examining various different bottles of herbs and spices. She knew that this guy wouldn't show up soon so she needed to keep as low key as she
could. She picked up a jar of sea salt as stared at it blankly. "The next victim could be me…I'm brave, don't let it get to you." Sara thought as she frowned and tried to get the idea out of
her head. She put the bottle of salt back and picked up another bottle, this time it was pepper. As Sara examined the bottle, out of the corner of her eye she saw a man staring at her, he
was holding a grocery basket and he was alone. Her heart began to pound. She stayed were she was, not even daring to walk down the aisle. "I need to make eye contact." She
thought as she closed her eyes and then opened them again. She took a deep breath in and turned her head to look at the man who in return was looking right at her. She slowly mover
her head back forward to look at the shelf. He was pacing back and forth from what Sara could determine from the corner of her eye, he was waiting and watching and he was hoping
that no one would just show up. No one did, so he began to walk down the same aisle were Sara was.
Grissom was watching the monitors, he didn't want anything to happen to Sara, and he needed to focus on her and not at his anger right now on Culpepper. Grissom watched the man
who kept going up and down the aisle; he finally started walking toward Sara. "Woa." Grissom said as he pointed to the monitor, he had caught Culpepper attention. "That guy's coming
back." Grissom announced as he and Culpepper were now glued to the monitor, neither of them wanted to blink, Grissom's heart began to pound, and this is what he feared, not just for
Sara, not just from himself but for both of them.
"Would you happen to have a cigarette?" the man asked Sara, he was now right beside her. Sara's heart pounded, he was right there, not even five centimeters apart. "Uh…yeah,
actually." Sara responded as she looked at the man and smiled. He smiled back. Sara reached into her purse and fished around for a short period of time, she didn't want to get him
impatient. She finally found it and took it out; she held it out in front of her.
Grissom was sweating now, it wasn't the stuffiness of the van it was that they were talking to one another, the fact that Sara Sidle could be talking to a rapist and a serial killer who had
killed three women so far and Sara could be the fourth. "Culpepper…" Grissom started with a nervous tone in his voice. "Let her play." Culpepper responded. Grissom knew this was a
game to him but he didn't see it like that.
"I've been trying to quit. Didn't want to buy a pack." The man said to Sara, in fact it made her smile. "Me, too. This is my last pack…but, uh, I say that every week, so…" Sara responded as
she handed him the cigarette. "Non-filtered. The women I know smoke filtered…you know those long, skinny cigarettes." He responded as he smiled at Sara. "Guess it depends on the
woman." Sara replied, trying her best not to sound so smart mouthed. The man put the cigarette between his lips, "You got a light?" he asked as he stared at Sara. Sara stared at him
before she responded, "Sure. Yeah." Sara opened her purse and looked into it, her gaze was no longer focused on the man, and "Where did I put that damn lighter?" she thought to
herself. The man looked around before he picked up the conversation, "You live around here?" he asked, Sara was still trying to find the lighter. "Maybe." She mumbled, she was getting
frustrated and tired. The man took the cigarette out of his mouth and tucked it behind his ear, Sara looked up at him. "I don't usually give out that information." 'It's probably smart. I
wouldn't tell me either. Your cute." He said, trying to drag her into his mental grasp. "Thanks." Sara responded but her voice wasn't flirtatious, it was annoyed, tired and overall serious.
The man instantly looked to his left side, drawn by natural reflects so did Sara. It was as quick as a flash; the man had dived his hand into Sara's purse.
Culpepper waved his hand at the officers that stood outside the back of the open van. "All right, we're on the move. Let's go." Grissom and Culpepper jumped out of the back of the van,
they were now following multiple officers toward the grocery store. "I hope she's safe in there. Please, keep her safe." Grissom prayed as he followed Culpepper and the rest of the
officers.
Sara had noticed a large tug on her purse, she looked at the hand inside and then followed it up to the face, and it was the same man. "Hey!" Sara yelled as she pulled the purse away
from the man. There were now about six cops on each side, one group behind Sara and the other group behind the man. They had pulled out their guns and where now facing it toward
the suspect. "Don't move!" yelled an officer. The man took a few steps back as he held up Sara's wallet. "I'll give it back. Here" He said as he threw the wallet to the ground as two
officers came up behind him, one of the officers cuffed the man. Grissom moved into the scene, picking up Sara's wallet. There was a quiet ring; it was some body's phone. I had stopped
when Culpepper answered it, "Yeah, Culpepper. Time and coordinate? Yeah, will do." He hung up his phone. "All right, gentlemen. Nothing ventured nothing gained. I do not believe this is
our man." Culpepper announced as he looked at the suspect. "What was your first clue?" Grissom asked in a smart assed remark. "Murder at the Monaco Hotel. Woman found bound in
her room striped and strangled." Culpepper answered not just for Grissom but for everyone present. Culpepper, the officers and the suspect left Grissom and Sara in their positions. Sara
walked toward Grissom who wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "He met the profile." Sara stated feeling more foolish than ever. Grissom handed the wallet to Sara who had taken it
and threw it into her purse. "Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to do nothing." Grissom responded as they both walked out of the store.
