Inside Julia's house, within her living room, Cameron and Horatio stood observing the body. Ryan was taking pictures, while Frank and Natalia were outside speaking to the person who called it in.
"So, this was Julia's housekeeper." Cameron said, studying her. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, face up. Her eyes were closed. Cause of death looked like multiple stab wounds to her chest. "Who called it in?"
"Her fiancé," Horatio said. He looked up from the body to see the medical examiner walking in. "Morning, Alexx." Cameron also looked up.
Dr. Alexx Woods walked over to the body, placed her kit down, and then sighed. "Morning, Horatio," she said. "So, this was the housekeeper."
Horatio nodded. "Her name is Pamela Osborne, age twenty five."
Alex bent down. "Poor baby," she said, putting on gloves. "Can you tell us what happened?"
Cameron didn't say anything. He had never met someone who talked to the dead, other than the ME's assistant, Jesse, back at the CSI station in Atlanta. "What does she say?" he asked, intrigued.
Alexx looked up. She gave a half smile. "You must be the guy from Atlanta," she said.
Cameron nodded. "Just like home, news travels fast," he said. "Cameron Rye."
"Alexx Woods," she said as they shook hands. "I also heard you were Horatio's godson."
"Like I said, just like home," Cameron said, nodding. Horatio just smiled.
Alexx then turned her attention to the body. "Now baby, let's see how this happened," she said as she put on gloves and began to exam the body. "Whoever did this had incentive. There was definitely a motive behind all the stabbings. She also had a deep cut just above the ear. But, it doesn't look like it was from a knife."
"So, cause of death?" Cameron asked.
"Could be from the multiple stab wounds," Alexx said, "but I won't know until I get her back to the morgue." She waved over two guys to come and get the body.
"Keep me posted," Horatio said after the guys had loaded the girl onto a stretcher and were headed out the door with Alexx.
"Will do, Horatio," she said, exiting the crime scene.
Just as Alexx was completely out the door, Natalia walked in. "So, I spoke to the fiancé," she began, "Says he came by for breakfast after working the night shift at a construction site, just like he always does during the week. When he knocked no one answered, but the door was unlocked which was unusual; when he finally came in he saw her just like that and called 911."
"He didn't come near the body?" Ryan asked, catching everyone's attention.
"Not from his statement, no," Natalia answered.
"Then I'm guessing this isn't his bloody foot print," he said.
Natalia walked over to him. "No, it isn't. He's wearing work boots. That looks like it came from a sneaker."
Ryan took several pictures, and then pulled out a lift kit to lift the print off of the floor. Once finished, he turned and showed Cameron and Horatio. "Looks like a size eleven or twelve," he stated. "You know, whoever did this was clever."
"How so?" Natalia asked.
"The shoe is worn," Cameron stated.
Natalia took a second look. "You're right. It's going to be hard narrowing what brand that is."
"Maybe we won't have to," Cameron said. Something on the coffee table, which was next to the body, had caught his eye. He picked up a pair of tweezers and, using them, pulled a hair out from under a coaster. "This might tell us who the murderer is." Cameron bagged it and handed it to Natalia.
"Let's get that to DNA," Horatio said. Natalia nodded and headed out the door. "Cameron, what is that on the coaster?"
Cameron looked down at the coaster next to the one that had hair in it. "Looks like some kind of powder," he stated.
Ryan came over and squatted down to get a better look. "I'll swab it and take it to Trace," he mused, wondering what the substance was.
"Keep me posted, Mr. Wolfe," Horatio said as Ryan headed out the door.
Suddenly, Cameron pulled out his cell and hit the three for speed dial. "Kim, would you fax over something for me?" Cameron asked. There was silence, followed by Cameron saying thank you. Then he hung up.
"Something wrong?" Horatio asked.
"Quite the opposite," Cameron said. "Let's head back to the lab. There's something I want you to see."