Laws of Motion – Book 3
Written by: Ms. Maggs/Edited by: KJT
Chapter 10
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Crime Lab – Warrick's Office
6:42 a.m.
"Nick just called." Catherine shook her head in disbelief.
"What?" Warrick queried as his wife took a seat in one of his guest chairs.
"He changed his mind. He's coming in and doesn't need me to cover. He said Carrie's going to work, so there's no reason for him to stay home."
"Let me guess…you're stayin' anyway."
After a sip of hot coffee she replied, "I need the money."
"Like hell you do. Daddy Braun-bucks just sent you another fat check."
Smiling behind her steaming mug, she admitted, "I want to be here in case he changes his mind, or Carrie changes hers, which changes his."
"They were really toughin' it out last night when I drove them back here for Nick's truck, but they were hurting…as I'm sure anyone would be in their situation." Sighing he added, "After watching them, I'm even more relieved we're not havin' kids. Your cancer scare was enough hell for one lifetime."
"Knock knock," Sara announced from the open doorway. "Hey, what are you doing here, Cath?" Smiling, she took a seat in the open guest chair. "I…" Her grin faded as she watched her friends' expressions grow with concern. "What's going on?"
"I should really let Carrie tell you," Catherine slipped, realizing immediately that her reply sounded cryptic and wouldn't suffice.
"Tell me what?" Sara's hand tightened around her bottle of juice. "About Rodgers? Did she find out when..."
"No, uh…" Catherine took a breath and didn't mince words. "Carrie lost the baby last night."
Her hand instinctually flying to her womb, Sara gulped, "How…are you sure?"
Warrick solemnly answered, "Nick got the call when he was with me and I drove him to the ER. They don't want everyone making a big deal, so we need to play it cool when he gets here."
"Yeah…okay." Stunned, Sara stood and vacantly walked to the door. "I'll …see you later." With her hand still clutching her stomach, she hurried down the hall to the Ladies' Room.
Although she felt fine, she had to check.
"Hey, Sara," Sofia greeted in a scratchy morning voice as she applied lipstick at the sink. "I don't know about you, but I barely slept last night. I was replaying that damn meeting over and over in my…" The sound of a stall door slamming made her jump. "Was it something I said?"
"No," Sara confirmed from behind the locked door. "Sorry, I drank a ton of water and…"
"You're pregnant."
But will I stay that way? Sara thought as she hurried to drop her jeans.
Sofia closed her lipstick. "Another reason I don't ever want to be pregnant…too much peeing."
Breathing out in relief, Sara clutched her forehead. "I don't mind," she replied, as if not complaining would secure her odds of carrying full-term.
"I'll see you in at the morning rally. I'm sure the boss will be in a great mood after what happened."
"You know what happened?"
"What?" Sofia laughed, "You must really be preoccupied with peeing to forget I was there as Don was detailing my past with Nick. Not that I wouldn't be thrilled if everyone forgot. See ya."
When she heard the restroom door close behind her co-worker, Sara released the emotion that had been building since Catherine's announcement. Although she was devastated for her friend's loss, the thought of ending up in the same situation fueled the majority of her tension. Less than twenty-four hours ago, she and Carrie had been planning their babies' futures together and now one baby was gone. Loss happens that fast. She sucked in a jagged breath. But you already knew that, Sara…one minute your father was yelling at your mother and the next, he was dead.
The Grant Residence
6:51 a.m.
"Why hasn't my father come to see me?" Celine asked her case worker, Talia, who was standing in the living room with an older woman dressed in an even frumpier suit. "You said he would be allowed to visit. I want to talk to him. I need money. I can't live like this…I've run out of clothes, the food that woman cooks for me is disgusting, and I need…"
"I'm Mrs. Swanson. I work with Talia and she's brought me here to talk about your father." The County psychologist readied for the girl's reaction. "I'm afraid it's not good news. I'm very sorry to say…your father was killed yesterday while exiting the funeral home where he was planning your sister's service. I know this comes as tremendous shock, Dear, but at least you're safe. If you had been with your father, you might not be with us today."
The words left Celine stunned.
Taking the trembling girl's hand Talia softly explained, "He was shot and died instantly, so he wasn't in a lot of pain."
"You're lying," the terrified girl managed to squeak.
"I'm so sorry, Dear, but I'm not." From her tote bag, Talia retrieved the newspaper the Psychologist asked her to have on hand in case the girl didn't trust them. "You can read about it right here."
Celine's eyes blurred with tears as she held the paper, studying the headline. "No, this isn't happening." She plunged deeper into the nightmare that had replaced her privileged life. "I want to wake up." The paper slipped out of her hands. "Right now! I want to wake up!"
Crime Lab
6:59 a.m.
"Did you get any sleep?" Catherine asked as she walked alongside Nick on the way to the conference room.
"Yeah, we did, believe it or not." Clutching his files, Nick cleared his throat. "We were drained from the meeting and then…you know, we were exhausted from everything and managed to fall asleep pretty quick once we got home."
"If you need to…"
"Thanks, I appreciate it." He pursed his lips. "I'm fine though, really."
"Looks like everyone's on time." She pointed to the glass-walled room where Sofia, Sara and Jas were parked. "You should know, Sara figured something was up when she saw Warrick talking to me this morning. I told her what happened, which means Grissom knows by now too. I'm sure they didn't tell anyone else. I hope you don't…"
"Thanks, the less I have to say it, the better."
She opened the door for him. "Hang in there."
"I always do." Walking into the room, he fronted a smile. "Mornin'!" Avoiding Sara's eyes, he announced, "Y'all be happy to hear we won't be havin' a rally today. I have to testify in court later and need to get some things done before headin' out. I want you to continue closin' out the Nina Campbell case unless something new comes in. After that, start workin' the backlog. Call if you need anything." As the three women stood, he cleared his throat. "Sara…if you could hang back for a minute, I need to talk to you."
"Sure." Once they were alone, she quietly said, "Catherine told me what happened."
"Yeah, so she said." Forcing a smile he assured, "Look…Carr and I are doin' fine, so there's no need to eggshell it, okay? Also, please don't think for a minute you have to hide your happiness over Baby Gris. That's real important to Carrie. She's afraid you and Tawny will clam up and not be excited around her…or exclude her. So, if you could…"
"Absolutely," Sara confirmed, not sure it would be easy.
"Great." He patted her shoulder and then opened the door. "We'll have our family. We're not worried, so you shouldn't' be either. Tell Gris the same for us, okay."
"You bet."
"Fantastic, thanks." Relieved the difficult exchange was over he hurried out the door.
"What case do you have to be in court for?" she asked, changing the subject like she knew he wanted.
"Duane Burbank…the thing with the girl at the walk-in clinic. I'm a witness, I didn't work it."
"That." She followed him down the hall.
"Yeah." He shook his head. "Just what I need after yesterday…takin' the stand and havin' a defense attorney rip me to shreds. Carrie predicts the lawyer will try to accuse me of forcing the girl into a confession of rape when Burbank insists it was consensual rough sex."
"Well, whoever the lawyer is, they can't be nastier than Schultz."
Ely State Prison
8:32 a.m.
Mike grinned like a giddy school boy as his attorney sat across the table detailing the previous day's events. "Anything else?"
"One sad note."
"Which is?"
"After all was said and done…Carrie had a miscarriage." Prior his wife's demise, they had suffered through a pregnancy loss and he couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for a respected colleague going through the same hell.
"Are you shittin' me!" Mike couldn't contain his glee. "From the stress of the meeting?"
"Hard to say, but I suppose it's not out of the realm of possibility."
Relaxing in the hard metal chair, the happy free-man-to-be said, "I should send Nicky a card."
Ready to do his client's bidding, Don clicked open his pen. "Hallmark of course."
Mike snickered, "Nah, let's change things up and send an American Greetings card. That way he won't be suspicious."
"What kind of sympathy card?" Don asked. "Religious, or…"
"Who said anything about a sympathy card?" Mike burst out laughing. "Send a 'Congratulations on the Birth of Your Baby' card, Schultzy."
"That's pretty nasty even for you."
"Good." Mike's laughter ended abruptly. "Nasty is exactly what I'm going for, because rotting in jail for a crime you didn't commit is nasty, and being a Biblical man I believe in an eye for an eye."
LVPD
9:03 a.m.
"Do you know what Sir Francis Bacon said about revenge?" Grissom queried as he walked with Vartann and Brass discussing the Campbell-Dwyer incident. "'In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior'."
"I have my own version of that," Jim retorted, "killing people is stupid."
"Stupid people killing people keeps homicide detectives employed," Vartann stated while following the men down the hall. "Not that I condone murder, just paychecks."
"Like you need to make money now that you married a rich girl," Jim razzed his co-worker.
"Hey, you shouldn't throw stones, my friend…you still carry handcuffs even though you're dating a Dominatrix."
"I hate to break up the frivolity," Grissom interrupted their laughter and pointed to the glass-walled room where a woman in black was sitting with a man in a dark suit. They were meeting Mrs. Dwyer as a courtesy to discuss her husband's murderous and then suicidal actions.
With their game faces secured, the threesome entered the room.
"Mrs. Dwyer?" In his most empathetic voice, Tony greeted the sniffling woman. "I'm Detective Vartann, Becca's husband. I'm very sorry for the loss of your son and husband. Becca sends her condolences as well. With me are Jim Brass, the Crime Lab Director, and Gil Grissom, the Master Criminalist and lead investigator on your son's case."
"Thank you, and congratulations on your marriage. I…I wish we were meeting under better circumstances." Katie Dwyer grabbed a fresh Kleenex. "This is Mark Schwimmer, my brother."
Mark nodded at the men as they sat. "As you can imagine, my sister is still in a state of shock. Any answers you can give us…"
"Certainly." Vartann nodded at Grissom to take over.
"Mrs. Dwyer, I can tell you that as we speak, the DA is bringing charges against the man who killed your son. Bruce Campbell's bodyguard, Ivan Radko, confessed to shooting Charlie as he slept in his room at The Royale."
"But why? That's what we need to know," Mark prodded as his sister clung to him. "Why did he kill him?"
Grissom readied to give an answer that would bring only more pain. "I'm afraid it was a case of mistaken identity. Mr. Radko believed that Charlie had killed Mr. Campbell's daughter, Nina, but in reality, Charlie was only her date that evening and she was killed by someone else…a drug dealer who attended the party at her request. That man is also in custody and has plea bargained for a lesser charge of Voluntary Manslaughter."
Mark gulped the lump in his throat, then clarified, "So, Charlie was in the wrong place at the wrong time, mixing with the wrong crowd." It wasn't the first time, and for his sister's sake, he held his tongue regarding his nephew's previous antics and what he had felt for years was poor parenting of the spoiled boy.
"Yes," Grissom nodded. "I'm afraid so."
"Did my nephew have any drugs in his system at the time?" He had no doubt the answer would be yes.
Grissom stoically affirmed, "Charlie admitted to consuming champagne and cocaine, and at some point during the evening, he accidentally drank something that contained Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate, more commonly known as GHB or one of the 'date rape' drugs. That's why he slept through Nina's murder."
"My husband was never a violent man," Mrs. Dwyer felt compelled to explain. "He was devastated over Charlie's death and obviously out of his head. I still can't believe he took justice into his own hands, I'll never understand. I didn't even know he knew how to fire a gun. Was he living a secret life from me? A life with guns and…"
"I really doubt that, Mrs. Dwyer," Vartann assured the troubled woman. "We found a receipt for the handgun in his wallet, and he also paid for thirty minutes at the shop's shooting range. He wouldn't have needed the practice if he had experience with guns."
"But isn't there a waiting period for gun purchase?"
"Although there is a ten-day waiting period where you live…California, in the state of Nevada there is no handgun waiting period. After the required 'instant check' with state police, the seller is allowed to complete the purchase."
"If there had been a cooling off period required, this tragedy wouldn't have happened. My brother-in-law would have come to his senses well before picking up the gun." Mark handed his sister another clump of tissues. "What I still don't understand, is why he jumped to the conclusion that Bruce Campbell was responsible for Charlie's death."
Vartann committed a sin of omission to avoid any negativity for the department, "There's no way of knowing exactly what was going on in his head, but there was lots of speculation and gossip going on at The Royale and your brother-in-law was seen there hours before the shooting. I suppose it's possible that hearing someone allude to Charlie's death being a hit got his wheels turning." There was no reason to specify that a rookie cop was one of the people he overhead saying it. "Of course, no matter what the reason, his actions…"
"We understand that, Detective," Mrs. Dwyer choked out the words. "My husband committed murder and it's inexcusable."
Holding his sister close, Mark nervously asked, "Does Katie have anything to worry about as far as retaliation? With Bruce Campbell's connections…I guess I'm asking if she's a target?"
Brass quickly fielded the question, "We've seen no indication to that effect. Have you? Any threats or…"
"No."
"The only surviving members of the Campbell family are his fourteen year old daughter and his wife." Jim refrained from mentioning that the twenty-one year old Widow Campbell was seen at Caesar's spending a fortune partying with friends and doubted she gave a damn who killed her husband. "However, if you feel as though you need protection while in Vegas…"
"I don't," Katie despondently confirmed, wishing her brother hadn't even asked the question. "If someone wants to kill me, let them, it's not like I have anything left to live for anyway."
The Four Seasons – Maui
8:17 a.m. HST
"I'm loving life again, Princess!" Checking his watch, Greg excitedly declared, "I don't have diarrhea anymore and in less than three hours we'll be on our way to a pineapple farm!" He couldn't explain why he was so stoked about something ridiculously mundane and ultimately chalked it up to being a dork. "I can't wait to ride on the Pineapple Express train and learn about the history of Mr. Dole."
"You're such a dork, Chuckles!" Tawny yelled from the bathroom. "I love that about you! What are you doing out there anyway?"
"I'm uploading the pictures you took of my head wound and sending them to Ms. Blake with a note that says 'I'm suing, because this wasn't on the itinerary!" Laughing he opened his mail account. "Finally!" He hurried to open one sent from Nick.
Stop calling me on your honeymoon, Sanders! What the hell, man, people really are gonna think we're lovers if you spend more time trying to talk to me than your wife. Go pick a pineapple or something and stop worrying about what's going on here. I hate to break it to ya, but you're not THAT important, the lights on The Strip are still flashing even though you're in Maui and we're all managing to do our jobs without you. If you call and ask about work again, you're fired. So, chill out and I promise to fill you in as soon as you get back from paradise. Until then, enjoy the hell out of life, buddy.
- Nick
Clark County Courthouse
11:28 a.m.
"Mr. Stokes, they're ready for you," the court clerk held open the door.
"Thanks." Clearing his throat, Nick headed in courtroom. While he had been dreading this day since he had been informed of his witness status, now that the moment was here, he wasn't at all stressed. That's when he realized he had a whole new perspective, that overnight he had done whatever growing up he had left to do and his outlook on life had completely changed. Things that would have normally bothered him, didn't seem to matter, and stress was relative now that he had helplessly watched his future wife suffer through the loss of their child.
Halfway to the stand, he saw the rape victim, Hannah Barstow, and much to his surprise, Carrie was sitting a row behind, beside the girl's mother. His fiancée's wink sent a current of happiness through his body. On one of the saddest days of her life she had come to support him. Instantly, life got substantially sweeter.
After going through the usually witness formalities, Nick readied to be questioned by the Public Defender.
Sitting in the crowded court room, Carrie breathed easy. Life was going on just as Wendy assured. Most importantly, her fear of losing Nick, a fear that had haunted her many times and especially during their recent fight, was gone. Not one pang of insecurity remained, and it was no longer wishful thinking that they'd live happily ever after, it was a reality she felt in her soul. Maybe that was reason for the unplanned pregnancy and quick loss, she reasoned…to foster a closeness that no one and nothing would ever be able to undo. Whether it was true or not, the reasoning eased her pain and she wrapped herself in it like a warm blanket on a winter night.
"Mr. Stokes," novice attorney Susan Ray began her third question. The trial only being her second, she shook like a leaf and prayed not to mess up like the first time. "Isn't it a possibility that you encouraged the alleged victim to cry out because of your personal sensitivities regarding rape, sensitivities developed from being raped when you were nine knowing your rapist got away with it?"
Is that your way of accusing me of getting the girl to say something she hadn't intended to say? Holy hell. Thinking it was one of the dumbest questions he'd ever heard escape a defense lawyer's mouth, Nick faced the jury and seized the opportunity. "Yes, as a childhood rape victim, I have significant empathy for sex crime victims and I don't like seeing rapists get away with assaulting innocent victims, like Ms. Barstow for example. Therefore, when I encountered Ms. Barstow at the clinic and she sobbingly told me that she had been brutally raped by Duane Burbank, I did indeed encourage her to speak to the authorities." While the disorganized lawyer frantically searched through her pile of index cards she had just dropped, Nick continued winning the case for the prosecution, "As an experienced Criminalist here in Las Vegas, I'm very familiar with victim behavior and have worked hundreds of rape cases over the years. I can assure you that Ms. Barstow displayed all the classic rape symptoms and I had no doubt, personally or professionally, that she had been viciously attacked and raped." Next, he turned on the good 'ol boy charm, "Heck, just the mention of Duane Burbank's name made her violently ill and…"
"Hey, bitch!" the defendant yelled at his lawyer. "Shouldn't you object or something! If he talks anymore the jury's gonna start making me a noose!"
Carrie fought not to declare a guilty verdict. There was no way in hell that the jury was going to believe a foul-mouthed punk who called his own lawyer a 'bitch' over a handsome, cowboy who had been raped as a little boy and went on to fight crime as a grown up.
The judge barked, "Mr. Burbank if you use profanity in my courtroom again you'll be removed for the duration of your trial. And, Ms. Ray…what exactly are you looking for?"
"Uh…my next question, Your Honor. Next time I'll number my index cards."
"Next time use a legal pad," Judge daFonte suggested, "because the pages stay bound together if you drop it."
Nick glanced over at Carrie and knew they were both thinking the same thing 'Why the hell couldn't incompetent Attorney Ray be Mike's lawyer?'
Crime Lab – Grissom's Office
11:42 a.m.
"Who are you, Donald Schultz?" Gil muttered as he researched the man who had ravaged Sara's peace of mind. You know all about us, so it's only fair we learn about you.
After verifying the man's education and work credentials, he had moved on to the lawyer's case history. Along the way, he found a homicide involving Schultz not as an attorney, but as the victim's husband.
"What has you so enthralled?" Sara asked as she strolled into her husband's office. "Is it bugs or blood?"
"Blood." Gil removed his glasses and leaned back in his chair. "Don Schultz's wife's to be specific. She was murdered fifteen years ago and for a while, Schultz was the prime suspect."
"Are you serious?" She craned her neck to check the screen.
Gil turned the monitor so his wife could skim the article herself. "A cop was eventually charged instead, but shortly after the charges were filed, all the critical evidence was accidentally destroyed and consequently the charges dropped."
"So maybe he's not just a money hungry bastard willing to defend anyone. Maybe he defends people accused of killing their significant others for personal reasons?"
"Or maybe he empathizes with Mike because he too killed his wife and got away with it. Maybe he framed the cop."
"Then the cop's buddies helped their co-worker with the 'accidental' destruction of critical evidence." Sara smiled. "We should quit our jobs, buy a secluded cabin in Maine and write thrillers."
"That would work…until Rodgers buys a cabin down the road."
"Don't you think it would be a little obvious if he followed us to Maine?"
"Do you really want to move to Maine?"
"No," she chuckled, "the snow gets too deep there, Flash would sink, and who would babysit Owen when we want to go ice fishing?"
"You mean Erin, when we go batting."
For the first time since their 'I want a girl/I want a boy' play argument began months ago, Sara declared, "I won't mind a boy or girl, as long as the baby's healthy."
Removing his glasses, Gil softly asked, "How many times today have you panicked about…"
"Rodgers?" Sara plopped in the nearest chair. "Not once. About losing the baby…a dozen. Around noon I'm planning on merging the two…Rodgers being responsible for me losing the baby."
"There's always Maine."
"We have the cash," she stated, half-joking. "Maybe we really should invest in a secret getaway…just in case. What could it hurt? It's a tax-deduction, right? It would be like going into the Witness Protection Program. We'd tell everyone we're off to our cabin in Tahoe, but instead, we disappear." Just when she thought her husband would declare her insane, she saw him Google for a realtor in Maine. "But what about Schultz? If he found out how many orifices Nick explored on a hooker years ago, I think it will be a cake walk for him to find a public real-estate transaction."
"Good point." Gil stopped Googling. "We'll have to take a different approach."
"Which is?"
He picked up the photo of Ron and Lina that Sara had made for his desk. "I'll ask my crafty daddy how to do things on the sly."
Clark County Courthouse
12:01 p.m.
"Psst!"
Carrie whirled around and when she saw her fiancé tucked in an open doorway, her mouth exploded into a smile. "You were great!" she whispered as he took her hand. After he had finished testifying, she had to wait ten minutes until she saw an opportune moment to sneak out of the courtroom.
"Thank you, and thanks for surprising me." Taking her into his arms, he beamed, "When I saw you..."
"I loved the look on your face."
Cupping her face with both hands he lovingly asked, "Are you okay? You look fantastic, but are you okay?"
"I've been crying off and on all day. Honestly, I was a wreck until I saw you in the courtroom and then..." She looped her arms around his waist. "It was weird, I felt this calm wash over me and I just knew we'd be okay eventually. I really believe it, Nicky."
"Me too." When their foreheads met he sighed, "They all know at work. I told them not to eggshell it, but they are. I'm so glad you showed up, Sweetheart. I was doin' okay, but then drivin' here I passed a park and saw a bunch of little kids playin' ball…tore me to shreds."
"Sara called me. It was really awkward at first, then we both ended up bawling, but it got easier by the end of the conversation."
"I called my mom, she's gonna take care of tellin' the family what happened and about the change back to the original wedding date. She said she'd be prayin' for us and to give you a big hug." He fulfilled the obligation on the spot. "I love you, Darlin'." Nick breathed in her perfume. "They're gettin' swamped in the field, so I really should go, but…" Grazing his lips over hers, he whispered, "Will you do something else for me today?"
"Anything," she replied as her eyes welled.
"Will you meet me where it all began?"
"Paris?"
"Eight o'clock at the tower. We'll grab a nice dinner after, so we don't have to go home right away." Being in the house where they had been planning for the pitter-patter of little feet had proved difficult upon returning from the hospital, so he was looking to minimize their time there for a while.
"I love that idea," she replied as the tears she had fought so hard to squelch, slipped. "Eight, I'll be there."
"Is that Carrie Blake committing a PDA in the hallway?" the Assistant District Attorney teased on approach. "Please tell me you changed your mind and want your job back."
"Sorry." Since there wasn't a stealthy way to wipe her tears, she didn't bother to hide them. "I was sitting in on the Hannah Barstow case," Carrie covered, "it got to me."
"See…your heart is here, putting away scum like Duane Burbank." The overworked man pleaded, "How about full-time until you go on maternity leave and then part-time once the baby arrives?"
Wrapping his arms around his fiancée from behind, Nick fronted his best smile, "Sorry, Steve…BPAC snagged her and I'm not lettin' her go without a fight."
BPAC
12:05 p.m.
"Okay, Becca…enough's enough." Drew took a seat on the edge of his assistant's desk. "Did you and your new hubby have a fight or something? You're like a zombie today. The last caller wanted to know if I found my assistant off the cast list of Dawn of the Dead."
"No, I didn't have a fight with Tony," she moaned, "I'm depressed because my good friend Charlie died, and then his father killed the guy he thought killed Charlie and then he killed himself. As if that wasn't enough, Carrie came in this morning and told me she lost the baby, which makes me think of when I had an abortion because my boyfriend threatened to kill me if I didn't, so I did, which made me try to kill myself."
"Damn."
"Exactly!" Becca gripped her head. "All that death and killing brings me down, and how the hell can you be in a good mood? You just lost your future niece or nephew."
"I'm bummed for Carrie and Nicky, trust me, but I've already lost four future nieces and/or nephews over the years when my sisters had miscarriages, and there's always been a happy endin' after those, so I'm choosing to stay positive."
"Oh." Becca slumped deeper into her chair. "Yeah, see…I've never really been able to grasp that whole 'stay positive' concept. In my previous life, I was the chick on the Titanic yelling, 'we're all gonna die!' as soon as the first ice chip hit the deck."
"You wouldn't have died, Honey. You would have been traveling first class."
"Yeah, but I fell in love with an asshole who tricked me out of my seat on the lifeboat to save his own ass."
"No, you fell for Tony's previous life incarnation and he sacrificed his life to save yours."
"Why are you talking about my husband dying when I'm already depressed?"
"Holy hell." After checking his watch, Drew winked, "How about I take you out for a nice, quiet lunch and give you some pointers on the power of positive thinking?"
"Are you coming on to me?"
Laughing, he replied, "Hell no! Even if I wasn't a happily married man and you weren't a happily married woman, you're a basket-case and a FAB, Sweetheart, no way."
"That I am." Smiling for the first time that day, Becca pulled herself to her feet. "I appreciate your honesty."
"Thank you, Ma'am." He grabbed his keys from his pocket. "What are you in the mood for? Italian? Mexican?"
"Xanax."
"Then we'll hit the Walgreen's drive-thru before we do some fine dining at Bomboa."
"Can we eat somewhere less pricey?" she asked while walking out the front door he was holding for her. "I'm trying to learn how the other half live, so I can fit in better with my new blue-collar family."
"Then I'll kill two birds with one stone and I'll take you slummin' at Mickey D's and buy you a happy meal."
"Did you have to say 'kill'?" she droned. "Uh oh…your Hummer has a flat. Still keeping that positive outlook, Cowboy?"
"Hell yeah!" He held out his palm. "Now I get to drive your Ferrari."
"Ooh, you're good." She dropped the keys in his hand.
Slapping on his sunglasses Drew did his best Top Gun impression, "I feel the need…the need for speed!"
"Are you kidding? My husband's a cop in this town, you can't speed."
Oahu – Dole Pineapple Farm
12:30 p.m. HST
"Slow down, Chuckles!" Tawny shouted in between laughs. "The pineapple farm has been here for decades, it's not going anywhere!"
"Sorry."
"You have to cut me some slack." She pointed to her bulge. "Babies on board, remember?"
"How could I forget?" he replied in a laugh while taking her hand. "The only reason we're on our honeymoon is because of the babies on board. Hey…do you smell pineapple?"
"Are you kidding?" Standing in the middle of a pineapple field she cracked up, "All I smell is pineapple!"
"I know! Me too!"
"God, you're such a geek."
The Blakes
3:34 p.m.
"Sean…" Ken entered his grandson's room after knocking on the open door. "Can I interest you in a game of chess?" He had just finished walking Carrie to her car after she visited, and wanted to take his mind off the tears she had cried in his arms. "Come on…take pity on your grandpa and indulge him in a match."
Already blue over the sad news about Celine's family, the news of the miscarriage had only furthered Sean's melancholy mood. "You're on." He hurried to get the chess set his grandfather had given him for Christmas. "If we play in the kitchen we'll be there when Mom's banana bread is hot out of the oven."
"Great minds think alike."
With the chess set in hand, Sean followed his grandfather down the hall. "How long do you think Aunt Carrie will be sad?"
"When your grandmother passed she managed by keeping busy and throwing herself into her work, It appears she's doing the same now, but unlike before, she has Nick to cheer her up, so I predict she'll bounce back much quicker."
"I did some research this morning. Eighty-five percent of women who miscarry their first baby go on to have a healthy one. That's a really hopeful statistic, don't you think?"
"Absolutely."
"Statistics are something I trust."
With his arm around his grandson, Ken sweetly asked, "What are the odds that I'll beat you at chess?"
"Sorry, Grandpa, they're not very high. Please don't tell him I said this, but…if you want to win, you should really play Ryan."
Crime Lab
4:17 p.m.
"This is my nephew-to-be, Ryan Blake," Nick introduced the boy to Val Weaver, his secretary, who had gone home by the time Ryan was there previous day. "He's working off a debt by helping me after school. "Ryan, this is my new secretary, Val, she just moved to Vegas from Utah."
"Nice to meet you, young man."
"What happened to Lizette?" the teen queried, wondering why his uncle would ditch his young curvaceous secretary for a chunky middle-aged one who wears grandma clothes.
"She moved to LA with her fiancée."
"Bummer." Ryan shook Val's hand and tried to sound enthused, "Nice to meet you too."
After shoving the pouty teen into his office, Nick said, "I'm waitin' on Talia Shriver from Social Services, in case you get the call instead of me. She can come right up."
"Okay." As her boss walked away, the secretary called out, "Nick! I have something for you." She held out a light blue envelope. "I found this card addressed to you. Someone must have dropped it off while I was on my break."
"Thanks." The first thing he did was turn it over, and when he saw it was an American Greetings card instead of a Hallmark, he relaxed.
Val flashed a sunny smile. "Call me if you need anything."
"Will do."
Grateful for her clear vantage point into her boss's glass-walled office, Val waited anxiously for him to open the card. Luckily, he ripped it open right away and when she saw his horrified reaction, she readied for his return.
"Val!"
"Yes?" She stood and feigned cluelessness. "Is something wrong, Nick? You look tense."
"Where exactly did you find that card?" His blood boiled as he fought to keep cool.
"Uh…" Pointing to the floor she said, "Next to the trash bin. I figured somebody tossed it in your mail bin and it slipped to the floor without them seeing it happen. Why?"
"They didn't sign it, and I'm curious who sent it."
"Oh…sorry, can't help you."
Pointing to his office, he said, "Will you make sure my nephew doesn't leave the room while I go down the hall to Grissom's office?"
"You betcha." Val took a seat as her boss dashed down the hall and once she was certain he was gone, she grabbed her cell phone. Upon reaching the designated voicemail, she left the code phrase for 'mission accomplished, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood." When she hung up, she returned to doing her jobs, both the one she was paid for and her real one. With access to departmental personnel and work information, reconnaissance was easy and in only a few weeks time, she had found a legion of information to pass along and help Mike.
Crime Lab – Grissom's Office
4:21 p.m.
"It's from Rodgers, it has to be." Nick raced his fingers through his hair as Grissom read the 'Congratulations on the Birth of your Baby' card.
"It's not his M.O. There's no personal message like the other cards, and it's not a Hallmark."
"Yeah, but who else would be that nasty!"
Removing his glasses, Grissom sighed, "You're a popular guy around here, Nicky…but you're not without enemies. It could be someone at the lab who overhead the news and seized the opportunity to be a jerk."
"Yeah, well…mean people suck."
The Master Criminalist walked around his desk. "I'll bring it to Trace. Maybe Hodges can find something."
"Thanks, Gris."
"How are you holding up?" Gil couldn't imagine functioning at work if Sara had lost their baby the previous night.
"I was doin' okay until that piece of garbage came my way." Noticing the security camera, Nick said, "Maybe one of the eyes in the sky caught someone walking over to Val's desk."
"We don't roll tape except for the entrance cameras and outside the supply rooms, remember?"
"Right." Nick let out a breath and his hope of catching the scumbag accomplice on tape. "Anyone who has access coulda done it."
"Well, we already know there's a mole based on what Don shared."
"But who?" Nick's eyes roamed the hallway. "It has to be someone who's been around long enough to know us and have a rapport with Mike…and not like CSIs."
Their eyes meeting, they both thought the same thing...Fromansky.
"Gris, while you go to Trace, I'll make a call and see if our buddy Fromansky is workin' today."
"My thoughts exactly."
Dole Pineapple Farm – Oahu
1:29 p.m. HST
"I think we have to get these for the twins to mark their first trip to Hawaii." Greg pointed to two pineapple bears.
"Ooh! They're so cute!" Tawny snatched them up. "Since we have plenty of cash left to spend, let's buy them for Baby Grissom and Baby Stokes too!"
"Got 'em." Greg picked up another two bright yellow bears. "I ordered two cases of pineapples and a case of macadamia nuts to be shipped to Nick at the lab. I'll give those out to everyone as souvenirs."
"We still need to buy Becca something nice since she sent us here."
"If you asked me a month ago if I would ever hear you saying you wanted to buy Becca something nice, I would have choked on my laughter."
Breathing in the sweet smell of gift shop pineapple samples Tawny replied, "I guess it's true that time heals all wounds."
Crime Lab – Nick's Office
4:43 p.m.
Standing outside his office with Talia, Nick watched Celine bawling in Ryan's arms behind the glass wall. "It's gonna take a lot more than a BPAC comfort kit to get that girl through this mess."
"Every little bit helps," the Social Worker assured, "but it's going to take a long time for her to recover, especially without any family to comfort her." She elbowed Nick. "So, maybe I'll forgive you for tricking me into this teenage rendezvous now that I see how happy it's made her."
Nick flashed his most flirtatious smile at the forty year old.
"Oh please." Laughing, she rolled her eyes. "You can't charm me out of being pissed off because I know you're happily engaged to be married."
"So busted." He cracked up. "But c'mon, Talia…are ya really gonna be hacked at me because I'm a romantic?" Placing his hands over his heart he poured on the charm anyway. "Celine's lonely and heartbroken and Ryan just wanted to be the guy who puts a smile on her face in her darkest hour. If Shakespeare were alive, he'd be all over this romantic tragedy."
Having joined the group just in time to hear Nick's speech, Grissom commented, "Nick, I do believe that's the first time you've used the Bard to get your ass out of trouble."
"You taught me well, Gris." Nick beamed in front of his old mentor. "Seriously, it's tragic. The poor kid has no family left except for her stepmother who is bathing topless at the Mandalay Beach Club with her new boyfriend as we speak."
Talia grumbled, "We declared that trashy piece of work an unfit guardian immediately."
"There's no one else?" Gil stared at the girl as she blew her nose into the clump of tissues Ryan had just given her.
Talia shook her head. "Sally Wells, her mother, died when she was three and since then it's been a string of stepmothers. Bruce Campbell had a sister, but she and his parents were killed in a boating accident in the Virgin Islands when he was twenty-two."
"What about the mother's family?"
"Can't a find a thing on them. In talking to your wife yesterday, she got to feeling a little empathy for the foster kid, so she offered to dig a little deeper to see if she could find something we couldn't. Because let's face it…you guys are better at investigating."
Now it was Gil's turn to beam with pride. "I'm sure she'll leave no stone unturned."
The vibration of Nick's cell phone sent him walking away a few steps. "Be right back, I have a call comin' in." As he hoped, it was Carrie and he answered with a grin. "Hey, Darlin', I was hopin' it was you."
"Are you near a radio?"
"If you give me a sec to get there. Why?" He hurried into the empty workroom and over to the small boombox in the corner.
"I've got your favorite country station on and after this commercial, they're going to play a new song I heard on the drive home that reminded me of us. I wanted you to hear it."
He tuned the radio from R&B to his station and waited. "Celine's here, in Ryan's arms to be exact. The girl's a mess."
"Did she like the special backpack we made her?"
"Yeah, the makeup and clothes were a real hit, Sweetheart. She said she felt at home for the first time since this nightmare began."
"Aww. That makes me…ooh, here it comes."
"I'm all ears," he replied as the Gary Allan song started.
Life isn't always beautiful
Sometimes it's just plain hard
Life can knock you down… it can break your heart
But the struggles make you stronger…
And the changes make you wise…
And happiness has its own way, of takin' its sweet time.
"Yeah," Nick sighed into the phone. "We've learned that a few times now, huh, Darlin'?"
"And yet…here we are, still going strong. Listen to the chorus."
No, life isn't always beautiful
Tears will fall sometimes…
Life isn't always beautiful, but it's a beautiful ride.
"That's what I wanted to tell you, Nicky…as long as I'm riding with you, I can handle anything life throws my way."
"Same here, Sweetheart. I…" He was interrupted by Sara throwing open the door.
"You have to hear this!"
"Uh, sorry…apparently we have some breaking news here. Let me call you back, Carr. Love you." After the sentiment was returned, Nick looked over at Sara. "What's goin' on?"
"She's not dead!" Sara exclaimed as her blood pressure rose. "That bastard, Bruce Campbell, had her scared for her life, so she faked her own death!"
"I'm sorry, who are we talkin' about?" Nick quizzed. "I'm not trackin'."
Sara tossed him her notes from the conversation. "Celine's mother!"
Next Chapter: More of the aftermath from the meeting, the case file, and Nick and Carrie's news. There's some humor and romance mixed in with the drama in case you need a little levity J Posting: Monday, August 14.
Thanks,
Maggs