A/N: I don't own CSI, CBS, or any other known entity. Song at the end is "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer, which I also do not own. Thanks to my beta, lostladyknight. Welcome to the conclusion of the 3 parter... I hope you enjoy the show, and please review. :D
Catching a Serial Killer
Warrick and I get back from picking up our kids at about the same time, and we walk into Trace. Hodges and Wendy look up at us. "What exactly is going on?" Hodges asks.
"The 5-1 Killer's back," Warrick says.
"And Nick said the note said that our kids were in danger," I add.
"Nick knows this case better than anyone. It's to keep them safe."
"Okay, great," Hodges says. "What are you guys doing? Dropping them off with me?" Warrick and I look at each other before looking back at him. He groans. "Fine. Wendy and I will watch your girls."
"Thanks, man," Warrick says.
"Knew we could count on you," I add.
"Don't get used to it, Sanders," he snaps. We put the girls down and walk away, heading for the layout room. Sara and Catherine are pouring over files as we walk in, while Nick and Grissom are no where to be found.
"Where's Nick and Griss?" Warrick asks.
"They're in a meeting with Ecklie," Catherine replies.
"Shit. That's never good."
"What're you guys up to?" I ask.
"We're looking over the cases for commonalities between bystanders, suspects, techs, officers, crims, for every city he struck," Sara says.
"And then we're gonna check that against our roster," Catherine adds.
"You think this was an inside job?" Warrick asks.
"The guy knows forensics," Sara says. "He knows when the CSIs leave the scene, and he knew how to preserve DNA for 15 years."
"This doesn't look good."
"No, I know."
"Did anyone make this case before?"
"I doubt it."
"So, how can we help?" I ask.
"Catherine's looking at Boston, I'm checking Dallas, so one of you can look at Los Angeles," Sara says.
"I'm on it," Warrick says, grabbing the file. I sit down as Ronnie walks in.
"Mandy kicked this to Hodges, who kicked it over to me," he says, putting the note down on the table. "Not handwritten, but the typewriter is the same as with previous cases."
"Typewriter?" Catherine asks.
"Yeah. Your guy's old fashioned. Uses a typewriter."
"So our guy's been using the same gun and the same typewriter for 15 years," Sara says.
"Stick with what you know," I comment.
"Right," Ronnie says. "Anyway, there were no prints or anything on the note, so it's all yours. Sorry."
"It's okay. Thanks, Ronnie."
"Sure." He walks out, and I look at the others.
"A guy keeps his gun for 15 years, that's not entirely surprising," Catherine says, looking up. "But a typewriter?"
"Who uses a typewriter?" Sara asks.
"Obviously, our serial killer," I reply. She glares at me. "What?"
"Captain Obvious, we don't need your sarcasm right now." I shrug.
"Sorry, but you asked an obvious question. Begged an obvious answer."
"Smart ass."
"You love me anyway."
"Can you two stop flirting long enough for us to catch this serial killer?" Warrick asks.
"Sorry," I say.
"Sorry," Sara says. She turns back to the files in front of her, and I look around the lab as Catherine pops her head up.
"Sara, you may have been right about this hunch," she says, turning to her. "John Drier was in Boston in 2000. He was a CSI 1."
"In Los Angeles, too," Warrick says. "CSI 2 there."
"CSI 3 here on Days," I say.
"He's not the only one, though," Sara says. "Melanie Drier was in Dallas then too."
"And in Boston," Catherine says, sighing.
"Los Angeles too," Warrick says.
"So, little brother-in-law follows sister-in-law around the country," I say. "Most serial killers are males, though."
"There are still those psychotic females," Sara says.
"Anyone else?"
"Besides Nick, no one else was in Dallas at the time."
"Not even Ecklie?"
"You heard that earlier?" Sara had been arguing with Catherine earlier, accusing John Drier of the murder. To which Catherine said something about it only being because Sara hated him, and Sara agreed. Catherine made a comment that she would accuse Ecklie, and Sara replied that if Ecklie was in Dallas at the time, then he was a suspect too.
"Heard about it. But not the point. Answer the question."
"No, Ecklie wasn't there. There wasn't anyone else."
"What about Melanie's husband? John's brother?"
"He's not with PD, or the crime lab." I nod. "And I think Mel would know if her husband was a serial killer."
"Especially if he's freezing teddy bears." I close my eyes, dropping my head back. "So, what do we know about John and Melanie Drier?"
"You're forgetting Lieutenant Anderson," Nick says, walking in with Grissom. "He was a detective in Dallas, Boston, and Los Angeles. Just transferred here to Vegas three weeks ago."
"Okay, so we have three suspects, and no way to narrow it down," Sara says.
"Mass murder is a man's crime," I say.
"So what, you're excluding Melanie because she's a woman?"
"I'm just saying."
"It can't be her," Warrick says. "She was only in LA for the first murder. She was actually working here the night of the last one."
"Okay, so Mel's out," Catherine says.
"That leaves John and Lieutenant Anderson," Sara says. "What about this Lieutenant Anderson?"
"He worked nights in Dallas," Nick says. "The murders took place at night, when he was working. He had an alibi there, and we never had a gun, so if he didn't do it then, he didn't do it now."
"So, that leaves John Drier," I say. "How do we prove it?"
"Get his gun," Sara replies.
"He's not gonna give it easily if we can't prove rationale for it."
"We can't place him at the scene. As far as we know, he doesn't know the victim."
"Isn't the fact that he's the only person who's been around all these cases proof enough that he may be involved?" I look at Grissom.
"Could be coincidence," he says.
"What makes us so damn sure someone in PD or the crime lab did it?" Nick asks.
"Who else really makes sense, Nick?" Sara asks. "A note appears an hour after the CSIs leave the scene, addressed to one of the people working the case."
"Except I wasn't working this case when I got the note!"
"We're missing something," I say softly. I pick up the note and look at it.
"Like what, Einstein?" Nick snaps maliciously. "What the fuck could we be missin'?"
"What was John's job as an intern? What about his schooling?" I keep reading, even though I have no point to those questions.
"What are you getting at?"
"Did he know how to preserve DNA 15 years ago? When it was still new knowledge?"
"I don't know! I didn't work with him more than two hours a day!"
"What are you getting at, Greg?" Grissom asks calmly as I make my discovery. Score!
"The note makes mention of Mandy's pregnancy," I say, handing it to them. "The only people who know about that, work here in the lab. Including John Drier."
"You wanna tell me what this is about, Sanders?" John asks, lounging in the interview room. Brass looks at me.
"Just a little chat," I tell him, smiling.
"Why'd they let you run it? You're just a kid."
"I'm a CSI 3 now, in case you missed that memo, and also the only person who doesn't hate you. Wouldn't you rather have an unbiased interview?"
"So now this is an interview?"
"Something like that."
"Ah, I see. You're hoping I'll confess to something, because whatever it is, you can't prove it was me."
"There's a reason you're a CSI 3, huh?" I chuckle, and he rolls his eyes. "You're partially right. We can't forensically convict you, but cognitively, we have enough. Why don't I tell this like a story, okay? Because you and I both love stories."
"Whatever, Sanders. It's your show."
"Okay, let's begin. Fifteen years ago, you're an intern for the Dallas Crime Lab, working days. Around that time, five little girls between the ages of 1 and 5 all get murdered, shot with a Colt .45, five days apart from each other. An hour after CSIs leave the scene, a note written on a typewriter appeared at the lab, addressed to one CSI in particular. In Dallas, it was Nick Stokes, correct?"
"It's your story."
"Sit back. There's more. Now, the last little girl was Nick's daughter, Hailey. And in the final note, it said 'now you know the pain I've felt. Catch me if you can.' And after that, it all stops. And then, Boston, five years had passed since the Dallas murders. Killer decides 'what the hell,' murders five more innocent girls, five days apart, sends a note to a CSI Davidson, whose daughter was the fifth victim. Five years later, Los Angeles, same story except for one twist- the murders are now five hours apart. Only five victims, move on. Now, Las Vegas, the first victim had a teddy bear with blood and hairs on it from Nick's daughter. There's only been one Vegas victim."
"So? While you're harassing me, he's out there killing someone else's kid. You can't prove I did this."
"Sure we can. Our killer had to know how to maintain DNA, when DNA was still an emerging field, so he had to be in school or hanging around a crime lab. Since he knew who was working cases and knew to get the note in an hour after the CSIs left the scene, he had to have been around the lab or been a cop. Only three common personnel have been around for all four locations- Lieutenant Anderson, Melanie, and you. Melanie was only in LA for the first murder, has an alibi of working here for the last, so that takes her out."
"I don't see you talking to Lieutenant Anderson," John quips. I chuckle.
"See, there's a reason for that," I say. "The note that went with the first Vegas murder was addressed to Nick, who hadn't been on the case at the time. And the note made mention of Mandy's pregnancy. Something that only the Crime Lab knows about." John swallows, looking nervous. "Yeah, you threw yourself out there on that one. And I did a little digging. Sixteen years ago, your daughter was shot and killed. CSIs spent one hour at the scene, and it took them five days to give up and call it off. I bet that pissed you off."
"You have no idea, Sanders! Five days, and they decided that there wasn't enough evidence. That they were done. You know what that's like? She was three years old, and they didn't waste their time. I was only an intern. I wasn't important to them. That case tore up my marriage, and no one cared." Nick slips in the room, and Brass watches him.
"Why?" Nick asks. "Why kill all those others? Why my daughter?"
"Wanted to make a statement," John says simply.
"And you use all those innocent girls to do it? You killed my daughter just because?"
"Pretty much. I knew it would light a fire under your ass. Worked, didn't it? You guys worked your asses off to find out who killed your precious baby girl. Proved me right."
"You son of a bitch."
"I'm the son of a bitch? My daughter dies, and I can't even get one of you to stay at my house more than an hour. Your daughter dies, and hell freezes over. Of course, that's what happens when the victim is the granddaughter of Judge Bill Stokes."
"I wasn't even one of the CSIs on your daughter's case! I wasn't even in the lab!"
"You were one of the officers there. You were so self-centered, and more concerned with the fact that Sandra was ignoring your request to set a date again, that you weren't even paying attention to the scene. You were just as bad as the rest of them."
"You killed my daughter!"
"And I'd do it again, too." Nick lunges at him, catching him in the throat and choking him. Brass and I pull him off quickly. "Hot-head."
"Yeah, but I'm not a murderer," Nick snorts angrily, stalking out of the room. John shrugs.
"No, but you're still a dick," he says. A uniform leads John out of the room, and I turn to Brass, sighing.
"Nice job, Greg," he says, sitting down and gesturing for me to do the same.
"Thanks," I say, taking his hint. "It was a team effort, though."
"I was talking about the interview."
"Oh."
"You know, there's a reason I'm in here. That's to help with the interviewing. Now, I can't do that if I don't know all the shots."
"I know. I'm sorry." He shrugs.
"Don't worry about it. Just don't do it again."
"Got it." He nods, and his fatherly side sets into his features.
"How are you doing since coming back?"
"Better. I'm doing good."
"That's good. How's your daughter… Emily?"
"She's great. She's growing up so fast." He smiles.
"That tends to happen. How old is she now?"
"Sixteen months, so she's babbling and starting to walk."
"Oh, that's great." I nod, leaning back with a smile. Amidst all the chaos surrounding the day, by the end, we're two colleagues having a chat.
So we keep waitingWaiting on the world to change
We keep on waiting
Waiting on the world to change