After working for three hours on the crime scene Sofia decided she would go to Hollywood Palms to see if their victim was alive and awake and collect the evidence, the nurses had secured for her. She also wanted to collect additional evidence from the victim. They didn't know the name of the victim, so it wasn't too easy to find out where she had been taken or if she was still alive.
"Ma'am, you can't walk around here." A male nurse approached her.
A little bit annoyed because of his tone she showed him her badge. "I'm a CSI and I'm looking for a rape victim. She had been taken here three hours ago, severe cuts to the face, arms and the upper torso." Thanks to the photo Lynn managed to take she knew at least a few details. "She was taken in by EMT, not sure if she survives. I need to get her clothes, pick up the SAFE kit and any other evidence, that we need."
"Name?"
"We don't have her name, there was no wallet around."
"Who is the doctor in charge?"
"I don't know, the EMT couldn't tell."
"How am I supposed to know who you want to see when you have no information?"
"How many rape victims, who were attacked with a knife and came in in critical condition do you have here? I worked for years as a cop, Los Angeles isn't a safe haven, but I doubt there's another woman, who fits the description. Maybe you're plain stupid and incompetent and should change your job."
The impression on the face of the young man changed from red to white back to red. Before he could start to talk a sharp let him and Sofia turn.
"I don't appreciate it when my people are called incompetent! You better apologize to nurse Gonzales." Doctor Bendler had her hands on her hips and gave Sofia a look, that reminded her a lot of her mother.
"He…"
"You apologize or I let you escort you out by our security and whatever you want has to wait until another CSI appears. One with better manners."
"I'm sorry for being rude." Sofia grumbled. In her eyes, she had no need to apologize, arguing with the doctor on the other hand, would mean she'd lose. Doctor Bendler was the one, who ruled the place. It's stupid to start a fight when you knew you can't win.
"Good. Now nurse Gonzales." Doctor Bendler shifted her attention to the male nurse, whose face turned into smug when Sofia apologized. "You will apologize to CSI Curtis. You're perfectly capable of telling her where the young woman is, she's looking for. Otherwise I have to tell you how to do your job and I'm you don't want this."
His face changed colors again and just as unhappy as Sofia was to apologize, he mumbled the same words.
"Good. Now you can go back to work and I take CSI Curtis to the young woman. I got your message and took care of her myself."
"She's alive?" Sofia didn't believe she was this lucky. Doctor Bendler really read her message and took care of the woman?
"At the moment, her conditions are critical and we have to wait until tomorrow. She makes it through the night, she has good chances to make it back to life." Doctor Bendler signed Sofia with her head to follow her. Next to the doctor the blonde almost jogged down the hallway.
"Do you know who she is?"
"No, I couldn't find anything about her in our computer. The SAFE kit is ready for you to collect, her clothes are in sealed plastic bags and if you want you can get trace from under her fingernails. I can show you where she is."
"Thanks. Did you take care of her because I sent you the message?"
"I took care of her because she needed the best to give her a chance at all. You're my personal patient, not my boss."
"Nobody is your boss." Sofia smiled.
"Exactly. How is your leg?"
"Fine."
"Medication?"
"Every day, no problems."
"Good. I need you get out of the room within ten minutes, the woman needs to rest. She's in artificial coma, which doesn't mean you working on her is not stressful for her."
"I make sure it doesn't take long and will be respectful."
"If I thought for a second you won't be respectful you weren't allowed in there." Doctor Bendler stopped in front of a door. "She's in here, same for the SAFE kit and the clothes. When you find out who she is, will you let me know?"
"Of course."
"I let you know when she wakes up and can answer questions. I'm sure you have some."
"I do. It's unlikely she saw her attacker, which means, I've to find another way to catch him. He did the same yesterday, not that brutal. If we don't get him, I'm afraid we have a dead body tomorrow."
"I'm very, very good, but I can't get dead people back to life, so I won't be helpful."
"No, that would be a case for Cherry, our ME." Sofia took a deep breath. "Thanks for your help."
"You're welcome. The next time you remember your manners and my stuff will help you."
"When they're not incompetent."
"I don't hire incompetent people. Incompetence is something I don't tolerate."
"Of course not." The blonde smiled. Anything less than perfect wasn't good enough for doctor Bendler. No wonder Jules was such a wonderful person.
Sara was surprised when Don appeared at the forest. They had no idea if it was a homicide case, were they short on other detectives? Why not send an officer?
"Hey, what are you doing here?"
"A large blood pool in Angeles National Forest is a potential crime scene. Not only since the sick Reservoir Killer dumped his victims here, the forest is a favorite spot for killers."
"It could be animal blood."
"If that's the case I'm off the case. Did you find a body?"
"No. A class with second grade students were here, in fact, they found the blood pool first. After I called George I made sure they don't have to see this anymore. The kids believe now a mountain lion killed a deer, absolutely natural."
"Natural is not possible."
"No, if that were the case we'd find bones and traces of animal activities. All I saw were boot impressions in the snow. Definitely made by two human beings."
Don smirked. "Want to replace our CSI? He's a newbie, you could teach him a few things."
"No, thanks. I'm a ranger, I watch and wait what you find out." Sara's cell phone beeped and she read the message.
"The little smile on your face tells me, your wife sent you a text."
"Correct, detective. She met doctor Bendler, who hopefully saved the life of Sofia's witness. A rapist is on the loose around Hollywood Boulevard."
"Is that her way of telling you she comes home later?"
"No, it's her way of letting me know what happens in her life."
"Did you tell her about the blood here?"
"Yes. I knew she had her own case, but it's a case with a CSI, so I told her. We do talk although we're married."
"Strange." Don laughed. "Did you follow the trace in the snow?"
"Not my job."
"For a former CSI you're not very nosy."
"I made sure the CSI knows about the scene, made sure nobody walked through it before you guys arrived, all other things are not my business. Life is much easier when you care only for your own business and don't do the work of other people."
"Even when you're better."
"Other have to learn, they don't learn when you do it for them."
"True."
"Detective?" The young man came over from the blood pool to Don. "The blood isn't human."
"Good, that's a relief."
"I checked four areas of the pool, all came back negative. Tests will confirm what kind of animal died. It's no longer a possible homicide case."
"Good for me, bad for whatever died here."
"You will continue your work, don't you?" Sara asked. "This wasn't a kill an animal did. The blood looks too fresh and there are no remains around. A human did this. Poachers. Hunting is prohibited in this area and it's not hunting season."
"We keep going collecting evidence, yes. Only with less people."
"Okay, thanks." Of course a poacher case wasn't as important as a possible homicide case. Sara did understand this.
"Thanks for the heads-up. Time for me to leave. Do you want to stick around, Sara, or shall I call you when I hear something new?"
"Give me a call. I'm going to have a look around the area, maybe we find more blood. Or some remains."
"Enjoy walking through the snow, doesn't sound like a perfect day at work to me."
"I take the car and have a close look for traces, that get away from roads into the forest. My colleagues do the same, if we find something else, we let you know."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. I see you around or later at home. Stay warm, detective."
"Ditto Ranger."
Sara walked back to her car. There could be more blood pools. Poachers didn't stop after one animal. Like other killer, they liked killing too much.
When Sofia came back to the lab she felt sad. The look of the unknown woman had brought back a lot of memories, she had pushed away. Memories of her accident, how she lay in bed. It wasn't like she had seen photos of her in artificial coma, she had no visual memory of these days, but she knew she had looked horrible and the victim did the same. She looked more dead than alive. How did Sara manage to stay sane with her lover in bed, covered in blood, cuts and on the edge of dying? Sofia couldn't imagine going through the same.
She went to trace, left some of the evidence bags with them and took the clothes for herself after she checked if they had an ID on the victim. From hospital she sent the prints to the lab.
"How is the vic holding on?" Juana asked when she saw Sofia.
"The doctor said, when she makes it through the night, she might survive."
"Can't they do more?"
"The best looked after her, the rest is up to the vic. She needs to fight for her life."
"Maybe she did the same when she was raped and that got her almost killed."
"Now she can fight without being stabbed, this time people supported her fight. When there's a change of her situation I'll get informed."
"Good. You were right about the street light, I found the stone, that smashed it. No prints on it. There were various prints on the dumpster, I took them, run them, the first victim said, he didn't wear gloves, we should find his prints. I have the program compare the prints from the first case with the ones we found today. I sent the officers to check on dumpster in the area in case he dropped the knife, they didn't find anything."
"Did you find out in which direction he left?"
"I found blood drops indicating a movement south, DNA is checking if it's the blood of our victim. You were right about the rape behind the dumpster, I found blood, pieces of clothes, you may confirm they're her clothes and some long brown hair. From the photo you sent me I assume it's her hair."
"He stroke two nights in a row, both times in Little Armenia, both times south of Hollywood Boulevard. If this is his comfort zone, he's likely to live here. Or lived here. He feels safe although there's the possibility somebody walks through the street during the rape, disturbs him, sees him."
"I wonder if by the sound of sex people look or if they continue to walk when they don't hear a cry for help. There could be two people behind the dumpster having a quickie. With a knife on your throat you think about every sound you make."
"And then you end up half dead anyway. Did she piss him off? Fought back? What made him be this aggressive and brutal? Is he losing control over himself? Does something inside him break free? Some people get off by killing somebody and they don't know about it until they actually killed somebody. It's like for them, they finally know, what they're supposed to do. He might feel the same about rapes. His kind of work."
"A sick work."
"You can say this about a couple of jobs, that are perfectly legal. Anyway, I start with the clothes and tell you, if the pieces you found are a match." Sofia checked her watch. "You don't happen to know if there are any news on the Angeles National Forest case?"
"I had no idea we have a case up there."
"We do, a large blood pool was found. It wasn't human as far as I know."
"Is this case related to our?"
"No, but I'm related to the one, who called the police." Sofia smiled thinly. "Doesn't matter, I check on that when I'm done with my work."
"She used to be a CSI, didn't she?"
"Yes. The best."
"Then she should be here, working with us."
"No, she decided crime is not supposed her center of attention anymore."
"Not the worst decision, although she lives with a CSI, crime is still a part of her life. All right, I go back to my work, let me know if you find something out."
"I will. Thanks Juana. Did somebody tell you that you're very good?"
"I'm not, I'm a newbie."
"A very good one and don't let anybody tell you different. That's an order."
"Understood boss. Lieutenant."
Lieutenant? Juana never worked with her as a cop, having her calling her "Lieutenant" made Sofia feel like…like she was still a cop. God, she missed being a cop more than she would ever admit.
"Sorry for being so bad keeping in touch." Sara sat down at the table. She had made a little stop there, the Starbucks on corner of Glendale and Fletcher, the closest to her home and almost in the middle of home and the Los Angeles Zoo.
"We were both very busy and cancelled the meeting twice each. No need to feel guilty."
"Thanks. How are you?"
"Do you want an honest answer or the answer everybody wants to hear?"
"I always want the truth. Remember, former law enforcement member. The truth and nothing but the truth."
"Right." The young woman sat down, pushed her red hair out of her eyes. "Now you're a ranger and still involved in crime. Like in summer."
"Don't remind me of that." Sara rolled her eyes. The Reservoir Killer. He had turned her summer to a disaster and brought death and violence way too close to her. There had been no distance between her and death, she had been involved in crime scene like she had when she was a CSI. And worse, she found the bodies first. As a CSI she had never been a first responder.
"Sorry. He's caught."
"He is and I had to call the cops today again. There was a large blood pool, luckily it was not human blood. Although, we might have a poacher in the forest, which isn't nice at all."
"Somebody should shoot them too."
"Yes. How is your job?"
"Winter time in the zoo is slow, like in the forest." Caro leant back and took a sip of her coffee.
"More time to be at home. Just what you need for Christmas."
"How is your family doing?"
"Susan is fine except for her first tooth, which kept her and us awake. She has no idea about Christmas, next year it will be different. It's her first Christmas, so we're more excited than she is. Steve is a sunshine, he makes me so proud every day, a very special boy with a kind heart. We're so lucky with our two children and…we want a third one."
"Really? Wow, that's cool."
"Sofia is such a wonderful mother, she loves babies and…she's even more beautiful when she's pregnant. I never thought she could be more beautiful than she already is…the last pregnancy showed me I was wrong. She takes my breath away."
"You're such a love fool." Caro laughed.
"I am."
"It's good to see happy couples."
"You're not happy?"
"Let's say there are some dark clouds on my blue sky."
"Oh."
"Yes. So tell me something nice, tell me about your Christmas plans."
"A happy celebration with my family."
"Oh, you're so cliché. What did you buy your wife?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing? You should come up with something otherwise you'll be in trouble."
"No, we have a deal, Sofia and me won't buy anything for each other for Christmas. We spend all our money on the children and the third child."
"Who'll be the father?"
"Don. He's perfect as Susan's father, he loves children and he was over the moon when we asked him."
"Your world is disgustingly perfect. I'm glad you're happy. You deserve happiness, Sara."
"Thanks. My happiness is my family."
"Why didn't you bring Sofia?"
"I don't think Sofia remembers you."
"You didn't tell her? About being in contact for over three years? Am I your secret?"
"She should know about you when she checked on my cell phone."
"She checks your cell phone?"
"Sometimes. It's nothing bad, I don't have any secrets, she can read my text messages and the numbers, I've saved. It's not like we have something to hide."
"Are you sure?"
"Until today I was." Sara grinned. She had no idea she had a secret. Was Caro her secret? Because she never told Sofia about them texting and meeting? No, she didn't. Did she?