Max led them quickly through Suze's house, holding her hand tightly, and stopping once they stepped onto the patio. Max stoppped took a deep breath and lifted his hand. He pointed to the tree in the far corner of the yard.
"She's over there." He said no louder than a whisper. They looked in the direction of his finger and spotted a large white ball of white lying peacefully in the shade.
"Oh no." Suze whispered and pulled Max closer. All the memories involving Sheeba flooded her brain, such as the moment when Max walked into the house and in the middle of the floor was a little white puppy sleeping peacefully, or the time when Max went camping with his friends and Sheeba had stayed outside his bedroom door every minute until he got back, or how everytime there was a bad thunderstorm, she always knew that Suze was nervous and would cuddle up next to her on her bed. The tears flowed down her face as they all stared at the dog.
"Are you...sure?" Jesse asked inching forward.
"She didnt even perk her ears when I called her." Max said, his face was pale and grief stricken.
"I'll go and uh, check." Jesse said looking at Suze's pleading eyes. He hesitated before crossing the yard to the dog. Suze stood holding Max's hand gently as she watched him bend down and inspect Sheeba. After 10 minutes Jesse sighed and turned around. One look told Suze everything she needed to know.
"Oh honey." She said to Max, wrapping her arms around him tightly. He was stiff for a moment and then he let his emotions take over his body and he started to quiver with his sobs. She felt his arms tighten around her shoulders as if holding onto her for dear life. She stood holding her baby in her arms and wished she could take all his pain away.
"But she wasnt that old." He said wiping his face and letting go of her.
"Honey, its different for dogs than it is for people." Suze said rubbing his back. He scowled.
"I'm not stupid mother! I think I know that!" Max snapped catching Suze off gaurd.
"Hey," Jesse stepped in. "It's not fault her that the dogs dead." Max sighed and shook his head.
"It's just...she was fine when i took her for a run half an hour ago." He shook his head and covered his face as tears formed in his eyes. Suze looked at her broken son and felt a strong need to fix this. But how? She looked to Jesse and saw the same feeling written all over his body. He met her eyes and sighed.
"Max, buddy, we cant leave her there." He said, speaking softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"I cant..." His voice was shaky.
"Honey, you have to." Suze coaxed.
"I'm not ready." Max shook his head. "I cant bury her."
"I'll help you." Jesse said, then looked at Suze. "We'll help you." He said and Max sighed.
"It's ok honey. It'll be ok." Suze said, taking Max's hand again as they started off towards Sheeba. Jesse disappeared into the shed to get the shovel. "Where should we..."Her voice trailed off as she looked around the yard.
"Here's fine." Max said pointing at the spot where Sheeba lay. She looked like she was about to open her eyes and dash around the yard like she normally did.
10 minutes later the grave was dug and Max was stroking Sheeba's hair fondly. Jesse and Suze stepped back and watched as Max whispered his goodbye's to the dog. He sighed and slipped his hands gently under the dogs body and lifted her into his arms. As soon as the dog was lifted off the ground Suze noticed something was different. When she saw that the dog's head hung in an unnatural way she let out a gasp. At the sound of her gasp both Jesse and Max looked at Sheeba and noticed that her neck had been broken. Max stared at Sheeba in his arms with horror. Jesse took the dog out of Max's arms before the a thought even went through Suze's head. He gently laid Sheeba back in the gradd and they all stood back and stared at her.
"I told you!" Max shouted. "Someone's killed her!"
"You...you dont know that." Suze whispered, but even as she said the words she knew he was right. Jesse's quick movements caught her eye and she looked at him just as he pulled his blackberry out of his pocket.
"What...what are you doing?" She asked as he started dialing a number.
"I'm calling Sergeant Dobson." He said matter-of-factly.
"What? why?"
"Because he said to call if anything came up."
"Jess, it's just a dog." Suze said, afraid of what this meant.
"Not to Max she isnt." Jesse spoke in lower voice, so Max wouldnt hear, but Max wasnt listening anyways. He had his face pressed against the dogs side and was sobbing silently into her fur. There was a look in Jesse's eye that she had never seen before and she knew that he was right. She sighed and turned back to Max as Jesse hit the call button.
"Mrs. Simon?" Sergeant Dobson appeared behind her, who was staring at the pictures on the fridge. She turned and smiled slightly. The sun was starting to set and through the doors she could see CSI's walking around her backyard taking pictures of the odd leaf that looked out of place.
"So, do you know how...what happened?" She asked him. His face was grim and he looked sad.
"The dogs neck is broken, seems like a clean break. It would've taken a serious amount of strength and determination to break a dogs neck, so we want to do a tox report on the dog to make sure." He said and she nodded her head. "We think...it looks like...has you're dog been bothering any of your neighbours?"
"No. She never leaves the house, unless Max is with her and she rarely ever barks." Suze said, feeling tears form in her eyes at the thought of how much she took for granted.
"Have you gotten into an arugment with anyone lately?"
"No, not that I know of." Suze thought carefully, trying to remember any fueds that she had that would cause someone to kill her dog.
"Have you recieved threatening messages or warnings since your brother's passing?"
"No, I've told you this already." She said, frustration growing strong inside.
"I know Mrs. Simon, I just want to have updated notes." He said and flipped the page in his notepad. "Can you describe your relationship with Mr. Meducci?"
"Michael?" Suze choked. Her mind seemed to grow fuzzy and she felt faint. She stared at Sergeant Dobson with confusion. "What does Michael have to do with Sheeba's death?"
"Your son seems to think that Mr. Meducci is capable of doing something of this nature." He said eyeing her carefully.
"He said that?"
"Well actually he acused Mr. Meducci of killing his dog, yes." He said nodding his head and rereading his notes. Suze stared at him with disbelief.
"I...why? Michael wouldnt..."She said looking away and started to think of Michael. It wasnt possible.
"I'll ask you again, Can you describe your relationship with Mr. Meducci?"
Jesse, Max and Suze stood in the kitchen and watched the CSI's leave the scene first, then they watched as the rest of the crew started to slowly leave the yard. It wasnt until Sergeant Dobson left that anyone spoke.
"Dont say it Mom." Max said, leaing against the kitchen counter, with a scowl on his face. "You know, deep down, that it was him."
"How can you say that?What has he done to you? He's been there for you your entire life and this is how you repay him? You accuse him of killing the dog?" She shouted and Max folded his arms and scowled.
"Suze, he's just..." Jesse said, but Suze held up her hand and stared at Max.
"Why would you do that?" She asked him again.
"I just...I just know that it was him. I cant explain it, but i just know." His eyes changed from anger to pleading.
"Even if... What would he gain from killing the dog?" She asked, her voice still angry but her expression changed from anger to concern.
"I dont know Mom. Power, domination, something to take out his frustrations on. He gained the same thing that he did when he killed Uncle Dave." Suze felt her anger boil up again and she stepped towards her son ready to lash out. Jesse stepped in between them.
"How dare you!" She shouted at him. "How dare you accuse my friend of killing...I did not raise you to be this...ungrateful!" She snapped and she knew she had hit a nerve because a hard look passed over his face. "Not only does it make you seem ungrateful but do you know how it looks to Sergeant Dobson and the rest of the officers? It looks like my teenage son is jealous of his mom's new boyfriend!" Max rolled his eyes. "Poor Max lost all his attention to his Mom's new boyfriend so he's going to blame him for killing the dog!" Suze mocked and Max gave a sarcastic snort.
"The guy's been around for years." Max snapped.
"That's not the point Max, and you know it!"
"Look, this isn't getting us anywhere." Jesse spoke up. "Let's just leave this for the police to handle. If it is Michael then they'll figure it out."
"If what is me?" a voice from behind Jesse caused them all to jump. They all froze in place as Michael entered the kitchen. He smiled at them and raised his eyebrows.
"It's nothing." Suze said casually, while Max said, "Someone killed my dog." Michael blinked at Max and then let out a laugh.
"And you think I've done it?" He asked eyeing Max with a smirk. Max just shrugged and looked away.
"Of course not!" Suze said, scolding Max with a look. "We know you would never do that." Max scowled and looked away. Michael looked from Suze to Max and finally to Jesse. His eyes hardened as he took in Jesse.
"So Mike, what brings you here?" Jesse asked cooly.
"I've come to take Suze to Adam and Ceecee's engagement party." He said losing his harsh tone as he looked at her. "Remeber?" He really didnt need to ask because it was clear from her expression that she had forgotten.
"Oh shit! It's today?" Michael nodded and checked his watch.
"In about half an hour actually."
"Max we've got to get ready." She said, heading out of the kitchen.
"I'm not going." He mumbled and Suze spun around to look at him.
"What?" She snapped. "You have to."
"I'm too upset." he said scowling like a child. Suze had the sudden urge to slap him.
"Max it's just a stupid dog!" She yelled. The look he gave her made her instantly regret the words that had just left her mouth. It broke her heart to see the heart and hatred in his eyes. He tore his eyes away from her and stalked out of the kitchen. She groaned and rubbed her face.
"I think I'm just going to stay home." She said to Michael. He stopped for a moment and just stared at her. Then he shook his head.
"Suze, you're the maid of honor, you have to go."
"Michael, I think she'll understand." Suze snapped.
"You want to let your best friend down?" He asked. Before she could answer Jesse said, "I'll go and talk to him. You go and get ready." He smiled and touched her shoulder. "It's ok, I got this." Then he passed by her and headed up the stairs to talk to Max. She had nothing left to do but go and get ready.
An hour later they were laughing at yet antoher joke told by Adam's older brother. Gina, who stood beside Suze and Michael leaned close to Suze and smiled.
"Where's Max?" SHe asked, a blonde curl falling across her light blue cocktail dress.
"It's a long story." Suze whispered back. "I'll tell you later."
"The dogs dead." Michael muttered and Suze shot him an angry glare.
"Oh no! How?" Their conversation had increased in volume and therefore had caused people to look over with curiosity and annoyance. Suze blushed and smiled an apology. Out of the corner of her mouth she said, "I'll tell you later."
"To the Bride and Groom, or soon to be Bride and Groom." Adam's brother lifted his glass and everyone followed queue raising their glasses.
"To the Bride and Groom." They all shouted and then they took a drink from their glasses. Adam shook his brother's hand and Ceecee kissed his cheek, before he handed the mic off to Ceecee's parents. They stood side by side, holding each other hand tightly and smiling proudly at their only child.
"Oh our sweet Cecelia. We are so proud of you." Her mother said, tears in her eyes.
"We thought we were proud the day that you -"
"Excuse me." Michael spoke out, cutting of Ceecee's father. Everyone turned and looked in their direction. Out of the corner of her eye Suze saw Gina step away and Suze felt like she was going to die from embarassment. "Excuse me. Sorry for cutting you off, but this is important." He took a deep breath and turned to Suze. He took both of her hands in his and smiled. She had seen this before, the same shaking in his hands, his eyes bright and intense, a line of nervous sweat forming above his lip. She blinked at him and shook her head.
"Susannah," He started.
"Oh no!" She said.
"Here we are surrounded by people we love and who love us just as much." Suze looked around at the people staring back with pure shock. She didnt know 1/2 of these people and they definatly did not know who she was. "We see two of our best friends about to get married and start their lives together." As he spoke Suze heard Adam say,
"I didnt know that we were best friends with him."
"Shhh." Ceecee said.
"All this love inspires me, makes me want to take that same path; start my own life. So..." Slowly he got down on one knee and reached into his suit jacket. He pulled out the same blue box that he had used for his 3 other proposals. "Susannah Simon, will you marry me?"