Hope and Justice Chapter 10
The afternoon came when Grissom's team arrived for dinner. Brass arrived first with Greg. They were working the same case. Hank welcomed Greg as an old friend. Both would be happy for the next few weeks. Grissom and Brass disappeared into the office.
Catherine and Nick drove up separately with Nick bringing beer and Catherine carrying fruit. Both had the look of too little food, even less sleep, and the carefully composed faces of one who cried frequently.
Grissom wasted no time in telling the friends that they were leaving for a few weeks. He looked at Nick as he said "vacation" remembering Nick's last reaction to his sabbatical. He briefly told them where they were going and how long they would be gone. Next, he brought out a slim file he had put together.
"We are leaving, but I want to show you what we've been working on." He opened the file to Warrick's photograph. "If at any time you don't want to hear what I'm saying, if you feel uncomfortable with what I've done, if you have any problem or difficulty with this, leave the room. Leave the house."
The four people sitting around the counter and at the table looked baffled and bewildered. No one moved as he pulled another file from a shelf and passed it around. All of them quickly realized what he had done. He had police reports, lab evidence, phone logs, car details, bullet analysis, and an autopsy report with Warrick's case number at the top.
Catherine was first to speak. "How did you get this? We are supposed to be hands-off."
He shrugged. The others smirked a grin. No one left as one file then another appeared in their hands.
"It's every case Warrick worked on for the past year. We have his bank records, his credit card records—no one in the department asked for these. There was no big spending going on. He had nothing expensive in his apartment—just nothing there to give any indication that he was getting a pay-off." Grissom passed the last thick file to Brass.
Nick had a thumb and finger stuck to his eyelids in an effort to stop tears. Greg said, "None of us think he was on the take. Someone has set this up."
Grissom looked over his eyeglasses at Greg and continued. "Greg is staying here with Hank while we are gone. All this stays here—if you talk about this, do it here, not at work, not at the diner, not at a bar. There's only one other person who knows I have these files."
The four waited for a name and when none was forthcoming, Catherine whispered a name. "Heather." Sara's eyes met Catherine's and she gave a slight nod.
An explosion of air came from Brass. "Good God, Gil. What were you thinking?"
Grissom held his hand up. "I trust her. A new set of eyes, a new set of ears; she's not involved with Warrick. She knows people we can't make contact with. She'll help if she can." He kept his focus on Brass. "And you might like her if given the chance."
And for the first time in days, the others in the house snickered. Catherine quickly covered her mouth as Brass snorted his opinion.
For the next hour, they ate and read, made their own notes and compared ideas. No one left, instead asking a dozen questions, voicing a half dozen scenarios of 'what-ifs' but none resulted in the right answer. Brass was convinced that some where in the department a mole was passing information to a crime group that remained hidden in every city where money, drugs, or any illicit activity was found—Greg suggested Hodges and eyes rolled.
"It's someone high up," Brass stated. "Some one Warrick knew." He tapped one of the folders on the table. "He lowered the window to talk to someone."
"Ahhh, Jim," Nick said, "Warrick would talk to some bum if he was standing there."
"The window was all the way down. Somebody he knew—we know—pulled a gun and shot him. Then walked away and left him to die." Brass emphasized each word with a tap on the table. "Hell, it's probably McKean himself who's involved in this—jackass put himself in charge of an investigation that's gone no where."
"If it's a cover up—and from what's not here, it certainly seems it could be. Someone put that money in Warrick's car." Grissom's voice had dropped an octave as he spoke. "Someone high up, someone with access to money—lots of money—is in the department and has the ability to hide evidence, keep it separate so no one has everything available. Where the buck stops."
Every eye was on him as a certain realization hit. There were fewer than ten people who had that kind of responsibility and power in Las Vegas. Grissom continued. "While I'm gone, just read this, talk to each other—here." He paused as Sara's hand touched his shoulder when she came to stand behind him. "We will be back. I don't want any of you in jail or out of a job because of this."
Sara replenished drinks as they continued to look at papers and files. "Nick, I've given Heather your phone number should she hear something. Greg, you keep my dog happy. Catherine, you are in charge of these guys and the new girl. Just keep out of trouble." Grissom looked at Brass. "And you make sure of that, Jim." They were able to laugh with each other.
Sara told them where they were going, showing them a website and where to send email "only in a real emergency" Grissom added, and each one knew that Grissom would return. At least for a while; Brass and Nick had already realized that the time of Gil Grissom as supervisor was nearing an end.
Catherine spent another thirty minutes studying the website of the research institute, reading to the others about living accommodations—somewhat primitive by her standards. "Are you sure of this, Sara?" She asked. "And bugs. I know there are bugs!" Sara gave them a big grin.
"I'll be fine. Got our bags packed, our boots ready, bug repellent. We leave tomorrow night, and some time after that—hours after that—we land in Lima, Peru. We take another plane to another place where we are met by a guide who will take us up or down a river, not sure which way, for two hours before we reach our destination." She was excited about venturing into this unknown destination.
They left as a group, feeling full because food had been placed on their plates until it was gone, Sara insisting they eat everything she had prepared.
Catherine pulled Grissom to a quiet place away from the others. "Love her, Gil. Every day tell her you do." She wiped wet eyes. "I don't have many regrets, but I wish I had one day…I never got to love him like I should have." They hugged each other hearing the soft laughter coming from Greg and Nick as they walked out with Brass.
A/N: Okay, if you are reading this much, send us a short note! We'll have another chapter later today--Things are progressing!