Horatio resisted the urge to press his fingers against his forehead where a headache was now building. Long used to working he was days he was now wondering when he would next work a shift under the Miami sun as lately all his work seemed to happen in the evening. With the tempest weather he figured sardonically that even if he did manage to catch some crime during the day it could potentially be under a drizzly sky. This latest night time thrill was promising to be a long one and the lieutenant was speculating that he might catch a glimpse of the sun rising by the time he was done.
Horatio was standing in an empty hallway as Alexx had called to let him know that they were just at the tip of the iceberg when it came to a bad night. Seeing who the caller was, Horatio had excused himself from the interview room, leaving an unimpressed Rick in the company of Detective Rafael Navvaro. The detective, a cool, serious man in his forties, had been assigned to the case by Frank to act as an impartial witness as well as co-interviewer to ensure Horatio couldn't be accused of making things personal.
"Alexx, what have you got?" Horatio quipped quietly. He glanced up at the round, black clock on the wall opposite him. It was a plain, practical clock rather than decorative with a rather loud ticking as the redhead had come to notice. It was coming up to one in the morning, seeing how late it was shifted Horatio's thoughts to Marissa's welfare. The girl couldn't stay in Miami-Dade PD all night with Natalia and he knew it wouldn't be long before the news broke and social services came sniffing round.
"I've got this poor baby's time of death," Alexx's voice pulled him back to the matter at hand. "Horatio she did not go easy."
Horatio tensed at those words and felt a spark of confusion. Ryan had picked up on Erica's possible last words twenty minutes after she had left them and then they had headed for the house and made it in roughly an hour, it didn't give the killer a whole lot of time to torture Erica and be gone from the scene before they had arrived.
"Go on," he said calmly.
"Well based on rigor mortis and body temperature she died approximately seven to ten hours ago."
"Alexx that can't be right," the words were out before Horatio could help it.
"Honey I know no one's perfect but I don't usually get it this wrong," Alexx retorted with a hint of disapproval in her voice.
"Sorry," Horatio apologised hastily, "but that means a dead woman left Ryan a voice message."
"Well that's a mystery for you guys to solve but this honey definitely left this earth no later than six or seven this evening."
"And what was the cause of death Alexx?"
"Ultimately, strangulation but she has a lot of bruises, a few marks that Calleigh thinks might suggest pistol whipping. She has a few self-defence wounds, she fought back Horatio but unfortunately it wasn't a fight this baby could win."
Horatio nodded along glumly, thinking of the redness he had noticed on Rick's right knuckles. "Alright Alexx, thanks."
"One more thing," Alexx remarked seriously before he could hang up.
"Yes?"
"The chief called, he asked for the details too."
Horatio withheld a tired sigh. "How long ago was that Alexx?"
"Just before I called you."
"Okay, thanks." Horatio hung up the phone and immediately began dialling another number.
"Wolfe here," Ryan's weary voice greeted.
"Mr. Wolfe step outside for a moment and meet me in my office, we need to talk," Horatio instructed him bluntly.
"Alright."
Horatio hung up again and headed upstairs for his office. He moved in a hurry, lost in thought as a thousand possibilities filled him. He dialled another number en route and was relieved when Calleigh answered. She should have been at home, important case or not it was still work and she was entitled to rest but Horatio had known she would be staying on because if something at work consumed him then it consumed her too.
"Calleigh I need to know, did you recover Miss Sykes' phone yet?" Horatio pried.
"No Horatio," Calleigh admitted, "it wasn't on her person and we've combed through the lobby. It could be outside but so far no one's seen it."
"Okay, I need you to find it," Horatio commanded quietly, "it could be vital."
"We'll go through her records, see who the provider is and if there's a possibility of a tracker in it to trace," Calleigh offered.
"Also, Alexx mentioned the possibility of Miss Sykes being pistol whipped, get on that too and if you can, narrow down the type of pistol."
"As soon as I can Horatio," Calleigh vowed.
Horatio hung up the phone for the umpteenth time and stepped into his office just as his phone started ringing. Horatio looked down at it with a frown and deliberated over answering. Figuring a delay might be worse for Rick and Cassie, he answered.
"Assistant Director Castillo," Horatio greeted politely, "morning sir."
"Well at least you didn't say good," came the irate retort. "Caine I'll be brief since sun up and the early morning news reports on this clusterfuck are only hours away. I spoke to your M.E and the timeline has shifted, what kind of alibi does Stetler and his sister have for then?"
"Sir I only just received this update from Dr. Woods," Horatio answered carefully, "I'll need to ask Rick what he was doing around that time."
"Don't delay with me on this, the siblings have motive, means and access to the murder scene and they're already unpopular with the public."
"Unpopular doesn't mean guilty sir," Horatio retorted neutrally. He glanced behind him to his closed door, sensing Ryan approach it.
"Horatio I don't want those two leaving custody until you have proved them innocent beyond doubt, if they leave you arrest them, you've enough to go on for that. The last thing we need or want is them free on the streets of Miami for the press and public to tear apart.
"Sir they've been cleared for the Garrett murders, they have strong alibis for that," Horatio reminded him as he waved Ryan in. "It wouldn't make sense for them to murder the reporter in the house."
"Crime of madness, outlet of rage building up after all the press have put them through with this crap, you've found people guilty with flimsier motives than that," the Assistant Director snapped back. "Honestly Caine, the Director wants them charged now, he'd rather be making a statement that there are two potential suspects in custody than none and the two people with the strongest motive are still walking free. I've talked him down to have them in protective custody, for their own good, cautioned him that it wouldn't be worth the fallout if the pair were found innocent, especially not with Sergeant Stetler being one of our own and considering the tragedy they have already suffered. It looks better if we're trying to keep them safe."
"Well that's it sir, it seems someone is after them, first their family now this possible setup," Horatio responded calmly.
"Work whatever theories you want, I want the facts," came the response, "remember Caine, they try to leave you bring them straight back."
"Alright sir."
The phone went dead.
Ryan entered the office grim faced and looked to his boss curiously. "What's going on now H?" he quipped wearily. He had caught the tail end of Horatio's conversation but didn't want to speculate on it.
Horatio sat behind his desk and gestured to the seat opposite him.
Ryan sat with a look of reluctance, feeling if he sat down he might give into his rising exhaustion.
"Alexx called," Horatio explained, "she puts Miss Sykes' time of death at approximately seven to ten hours ago, meaning Miss Sykes was dead when you got her voice message, a fact the Assistant Director is now aware of."
Ryan's hazel eyes grew wide. "That's impossible H," he argued.
"Apparently not, we need to play that message again, only in the lab, send your phone down and get one of the team to analyse it," Horatio instructed calmly. "We need to see if there's something on there we're missing, perhaps some background noise."
Ryan looked confused. "But what if I had answered the phone?" he queried dumbly. "How can that be?"
"The only logical assumption is that it was a recording, one you would have heard just the same had you answered the phone," Horatio speculated. "Our problem is that it throws Rick and Cassie's alibis out the window, had the murder been when we thought they would have been fine, Cassie would have been on her way to work, she wouldn't have had time to go to the house, kill Erica and get to work and Rick wouldn't have had the time either, not to then have made it back to take Marissa to the market where I found him, and it's unlikely he would have left Marissa alone to do it."
Ryan sighed. "Cassie told me they were having dinner before she left for work, they're going to be each other's alibi for that time, it's not good enough."
Horatio nodded sombrely. "How is she doing with you and Frank?" he pried suddenly.
Ryan frowned and rubbed at his hair tiredly. "She's not helping," he admitted gruffly. "I get her being mad about things but she's not trying to co-operate. Horatio this looks bad, are we going to have to..."
"The Assistant Director has agreed to give them a chance," Horatio said, "but they'll have to agree to the questioning and protective custody. If they walk out of here before we prove them innocent he wants them arrested," Horatio added darkly.
"If they resist or ask for a lawyer and the evidence keeps mounting up like this then we'll have no choice but to arrest them," Ryan realised with a horror stricken look.
Horatio nodded again. "Make Cassie understand that," he said quietly. "Remind her of Marissa's stake in all this, if they're arrested social services won't wait for them to be proved innocent." He stood up from his desk, tensing as his phone rang again. It was Natalia.
"Horatio I'm sorry to be the burden of bad news here but I have a lady from social services here, someone has leaked this."
Horatio raised his hand to his temple before moving it up through his garish blonde streaked bronze hair. He put away his phone for the umpteenth time and stepped back into the cool interview room.
"Bringing more good news Horatio?" Rick queried sarcastically as he gave the lieutenant a biting grin. Rick's sneer did not match his dark eyes, they were a little too wide, animated with concern and bloodshot with stress.
Horatio gazed back at the dark haired man calmly as he considered how to deliver the news. Rick's blazer was slung messily over the chair behind him and his white shirt sleeves were pushed up to his elbows. He looked tired, unkempt and anxious despite his best attempts to hide it with rage. Figuring there was no good way to do it, he responded bluntly. "Rick you and Cassie both have motive, means and access and what I expect will be a questionable alibi for the time of death."
"Someone wants a quick arrest," Rick interrupted with a look of scorn.
Horatio nodded. "They do but we're not going to give it to them, not if you agree to stay in protective custody until we can prove your innocence."
Rick's smile widened and he let out a horrid chuckle. "Protective custody," he mocked, "you may as well arrest me and get it over with."
Horatio's gaze hardened at this. "Rick before you perjure yourself to spite the world think of Marissa. Social Services has collected her." He held up a hand as Rick's face filled with rage. "We had no choice Rick, this is a police station and she is only five, she couldn't stay here indefinitely. I promise I will keep in contact while you are in here and I have done all I can to ensure this is only temporary."
"Saint Caine," Rick growled, "you think you can fix everything and save everyone. If they've took her they won't be planning on handing her back to us. They already had their doubts before this. What if you arrest me and let Cassie go?"
Horatio raised his eyebrows at this before taking a step towards Rick. As the man was sitting he was, for a rare moment, in Horatio's shadow. "Rick don't do this," Horatio said quietly, "it won't benefit anyone in the long run and Cassie won't thank you for it. We are going to set this right, you have my word on that. All you have to do is co-operate with us."
Rick sighed. "Alright Horatio, I'll try it your way for now but I warn you, if this looks like it's long-term then I'm going to make sure Cassie gets out."
Horatio wondered at this, from Rick's perspective surely he was the better candidate for a guardian, he had the home and the job after all. "Why?" Horatio queried bluntly.
Rick gazed up at him with another unpleasant smile. "That is not your concern."
Horatio frowned. "Co-operation Rick, please."
A knock on the door distracted both men and they glanced towards it curiously. It was Natalia, ready in her white lab coat with her kit in hand. She had come on Horatio's orders, ignoring her desperation to end this wretched night knowing that her boss wouldn't have asked her if it wasn't important.
Rick's lip curled up in a snarl. "Co-operation with what?" he demanded.
"Miss Boa Vista is here to take a sample," Horatio explained calmly.
"Well I hope she's better at that than minding kids," Rick snapped.
"Rick, Marissa being taken by social services wasn't her fault," Horatio said coolly. He stepped up to the door, opened it and welcomed Natalia into the room.
Natalia stepped in with a quiet greeting and immediately started setting up her kit. The sooner she got this over with the sooner she could leave. She got out a swab quickly and moved towards Rick with it. "Right hand please Rick," she said calmly.
Rick placed his hand on the table before him with a loud thump.
Rick's stare of hatred was a little too intense for Natalia. She tried to ignore it as she swabbed his knuckles but it was impossible not to feel the heat of it as he centred it straight on her. Marissa was gone and Natalia knew he blamed her for it simply because she had been the last one present with the girl.
The brunette dug the swab in deeper than necessary but it was a pointless show of passive aggression as the bud was cotton after all. She secured the plastic cover over it, ready to take to the lab.
Natalia dared to shoot a glance up at Rick and frowned at him. "I tried Rick," she said defensively, "I did."
"Thank you Miss Boa Vista," Horatio interrupted swiftly, "let me know the results when you can." He stepped up to her and gave Rick a careful stare, silently willing the man to reign in his temper before he did anymore damage with it.
Natalia took the hint and hurried from the interview room.
"You won't find anything," Rick snapped, "they ran a story on the news about my alleged assault of that bastard when I was twenty, made all these implications about Cassie being involved and our mother persuading him to drop it." Rick gave Horatio a hostile stare. "They made it out like we hurt him." He cracked a bitter smirk at this. "I'm sure you can believe it of me, you've never questioned anyone making allegations about my temper before but you can't believe it of Cassie. Anyway, I got mad so I punched the wall because I punch objects not people."
Horatio wondered at Rick's words and felt a thrill of anger run through him. He recalled Yelina with a bruised cheek when she had been dating Rick and trying to tell Horatio it wasn't what he thought. Of course he hadn't listened but now he wondered. Yelina was a tough woman and she had stayed with Rick after the incident, they had even lived together and Horatio didn't believe Yelina would put herself or her son in such a vulnerable position. He dismissed the thought, now wasn't the time for it.
"What did happen with your stepfather back then?" Detective Navarro queried quietly.
Horatio glanced over at him, he had almost forgotten he was there. He realised the detective was right to ask, Horatio knew the story but only from Cassie, he would be better hearing Rick's version to see if it tied in.
"Is that relevant to this dead reporter?" Rick grumbled as he fidgeted with the crimson and gold tie he wore.
"Rick," Horatio cautioned him, "her murder is linked to your family's, there is no disputing that but whether they and she share a killer or not remains to be seen. We're trying to establish the facts here, Miss Sykes didn't die when we thought, she died most probably when you, Cassie and Marissa were having dinner."
Rick let out a low laugh as he leaned back in his chair. "You must be loving this," he said bitterly, "a woman I didn't like turns up dead in my former family home and my alibi for her time of death sounds made up, it's too easy."
Horatio nodded as he moved back to his seat beside the detective and opposite Rick. "On that we agree Rick, it is too easy but you need to help me prove it's not true."
"And what about Cassie? Who's interviewing her?" Rick demanded. "Is it your lackey Wolfe?" Rick sighed and pushed his hands through his dark hair mussing it upwards. "I hope he hasn't told her about Mari," he groaned. "She hates the police as it is, she won't be co-operating and if she knows social services have Mari now, she'll just shut down."
"It won't be permanently," Horatio assured.
Rick scowled over at him. "You couldn't possibly know that," he snapped.
"Well if Cassie and you co-operate maybe we can avoid an arrest, if there's no arrest it will look more favourable to you both," Horatio retorted coolly.
Rick laughed again. "That your best negotiating skills Horatio? Play nice with you and we can be a happy family again?" he sneered. "Cassie won't do it, I wish she would but she won't and I don't blame her." He turned his glare on Detective Navarro. "When she was fourteen our stepfather tried to assault her, he tried to force himself on her and when she resisted he hit her so hard she had a concussion. I was twenty and free of the tyrant so I didn't know until I visited and saw her black eye. I punched him back so he could know what it felt like and don't go quoting my words back to me about not punching people because he wasn't a human being, he was a lowly piece of shit. The police were involved but they wanted me not him. Our own mother sided with him, said Cassie had led him on, imagine saying that about your own daughter. He only dropped the charges because Cassie made threats and our mother got scared her piggy bank might get broken and told him to drop it and buy the police off, so he did."
Detective Navarro nodded along though his expression was deliberately cool.
Horatio felt a fresh disgust run through him but this time it was for Christine Garrett not Balthasar. He wondered how someone could be so greedy that they would allow their own children to suffer so much.
"There were incidents after that," Rick continued bitterly as he leaned across the table, "but the police always turned a blind eye and let themselves be bought off. Cassie's husband disappearing was the final straw, the police didn't want to lift a finger, Cassie kicked up a fuss again but that bastard paid them to drop it, said he'd paid the man to leave her, rubbish," Rick scorned.
Horatio raised his eyebrows at this. "What do you mean rubbish Rick?" he queried curiously.
Rick gave him a cold look. "I never liked her husband," he confessed, "but I know Jasper would never have left without Cassie, with her yes but not without, he loved her in his own messed up way. Cassie lost all faith in the police after he vanished, things got worse after that and after a few years she just gave in and started saying that maybe Jasper did just get bought off." Rick pointed a finger over at Horatio. "You see she has her reasons for not trusting the police and whether it's Wolfe or not she won't be co-operating."
Horatio sighed. "I hope you're wrong Rick."
Ryan felt guilty as he gazed at the sunrise through his tinted sunglasses. He had gotten to go home and rest, not that there had been much resting in the end, but Cassie and Rick had remained voluntarily in the police department. If one could call it that since the rooms they had been given were little more than cells with a bed and restrictive access to the toilets. It wasn't like they had been left to their own devices either, the Captain had gotten word of the Assistant Director's orders and had made it clear he wasn't taking any chances so the pair had officers watching them, for their own protection of course.
Ryan wondered as he walked across the parking lot under the golden rays of the late morning sun just how long it was going to be voluntary for. He knew there was pressure to charge them, he felt it even if no one had approached him directly about it.
Ryan had tried hard not to think of Erica, to just treat this as another case but it was difficult. He had dated her once after all. It had been brief and a long time ago but the memory had rose up again with her death.
As Ryan entered the Miami-Dade PD headquarters he was surprised to be greeted by Calleigh's sunny face.
"Morning Ryan," she welcomed him chirpily.
"Morning," he retorted gloomily, wondering how she could be so happy.
"I've some good news," she assured with a smile.
Ryan looked curious at this and waited for her to explain.
"I ran tests on Rick's gun like Horatio asked and it came back clean. It was the same model that was used to hurt Erica, I'm sure of that but a different gun, there wasn't a scratch on his and no hint of blood or contact. Natalia said the tests from the sample of his hand were negative too, no trace of Erica on him."
Ryan nodded, it was good news but it wasn't enough good news.
"Alexx has something for you both too," Calleigh informed him. "You know, this is a decent frame job."
"Yeah but I don't get why," Ryan confessed. "Why kill some family members but frame others?" He frowned and rubbed the back of his neck. "None of this makes sense."
"No," Calleigh agreed as the brightness dimmed from her face, "it's a strange case."
"Well I'll go see Alexx," Ryan murmured. "Thanks Calleigh."
"No problem."
Ryan stepped past the blonde and headed for the morgue. He was appreciative of the dark, cool climate that greeted him for a change. Normally he liked the bright warmth of the sun but today it was a distraction, an unwanted contradiction against his grim mood.
Ryan wasn't surprised to see Horatio already there when he stepped into Alexx's domain. The redhead looked composed but tired as he looked to Alexx expectantly.
Ryan grimaced as he spied Erica's corpse and felt a rush of horror combined with sickness. He tried to shrug it off as he tore his stare away and fixed it on Alexx. It wasn't easy when the body was familiar.
Alexx greeted Ryan with a sympathetic smile. "Morning Ryan, good timing. I was just about to show Horatio something I found in our poor baby here."
"In her?" Ryan quipped in revulsion.
Alexx nodded. "It wasn't easy," she confessed, "it was in her stomach, the digestion stage had begun but there was enough to salvage it."
"What is it?" Ryan queried.
"This."
Alexx gestured behind her to where a stained and soggy piece of cloth sat with some writing on it. Horatio and Ryan stepped up to it together, looking at it with intrigue. Ryan squinted as Horatio smoothed it out under the light with a gloved hand.
"The Stetler Siblings Will Suffer," Ryan read it aloud. "What does that mean?"
"It means Rick and Cassie might finally have proof of their innocence," Horatio said sombrely. "Get it to trace Mr. Wolfe, have Eric take it on. You and I are going to get handwriting samples from Rick and Cassie to have certainty and then perhaps, part of this ordeal will be over for them."
"Why was Erica killed?" Ryan queried in frustration. "Why leave proof that Rick and Cassie didn't do it? What the hell are they getting from this?"
Horatio frowned as he wondered the same thing. Then he realised. "We separated them," he said in a numb voice.
"What?" Ryan looked at his boss with unease.
Alexx turned a curious stare on the redhead as well. "Horatio what do you mean?" she queried softly.
Horatio turned and started hurrying to the door. "Marissa, Ryan," he said urgently, "we separated her from them. That's what this is about, what it's always been about. Think Ryan, Marissa was spared, the maid had her outside, deliberately, Marissa's mother suffered the worst, this wasn't about Rick and Cassie, it was about getting them away from her. We need to find out where she is!"
