29) Why You Should Never Trust Your Mouse
…An ode to my trackball -- insert cursing as needed
Grissom and Catherine stood side-by-side, swabbing portions of the four piano wires laid out on the table for skin or trace.
Across the room, Greg and Nick were examining the piano – the rest of the murder scene. The body had been found in a mansion that was for sale, inside the Baby Grand piano, with piano strings wrapped around his neck. Turned out he was the realtor trying to sell the house, and the last time he'd been seen breathing was three hours earlier with a wealthy oil baron who claimed he wasn't interested in the property. Grissom hadn't tried to tell his boys they didn't need to bring it into the lab, that the garage would be just fine, because it had amused him to watch them maneuver it into the lab.
Grissom suddenly felt a presence just over his right shoulder, hovering, watching him work. There was only one lab tech that did that.
"Hodges, whatever it is, just tell me."
Hodges didn't just tell him.
Grissom turned. To his surprised, Archie stood behind him and he looked, well... Pissed. He held a manila evidence bag in his hand that wasn't sealed, but had something in it from the way it bulged. Catherine also turned, staring at Archie.
"I thought you were the protocol king, Grissom," Archie angrily snarled.
Archie's angry accusation made the two pop their heads over the top of the lid, the other from under the piano. Grissom tried not to smile at how they reminded him of prairie dogs each time they'd done that tonight.
"I beg your pardon?" Grissom asked Archie.
"I'm not a CSI or anything, granted, but Grissom, don't you train your CSI look at your evidence really hard?"
"Yes. I d--"
"Grissom," Wendy said from behind Grissom, "what am I supposed to do with this?"
He turned, staring at the bagged keyboard she held out to him. He didn't have any idea why she had a bagged keyboard.
"I did that," Archie told him.
Grissom turned back to ask why, but Archie cut him off.
"Answer me, Grissom," Archie demanded. "Do all of your CSI breeze over trace like this?"
Grissom wasn't angry, even though something said he should be. In fact, he felt a little embarrassed to have Archie accusing him or his CSI of missing evidence. What had he missed? Better to admit ignorance than plead arrogance...
"I'm sorry, Archie, I don't know what did they, or I, have done wrong. You're going to have to tell me."
"The mouse, Grissom!" Archie bellowed.
Grissom blinked. "The... Mouse?"
Archie frowned, shoving the envelope against Grissom's chest. "Yes! The mouse and the keyboard should be processed for trace!"
"What case is this for?" Grissom took the envelope. He opened the top, staring at the computer mouse at the bottom of the bag.
"That one." Archie pointed at the Baby Grand.
Grissom looked at the piano, then Archie. "I'm still confused."
"When Laurel and Hardy over there brought me the computer from realtor's office they didn't even bother to bag the keyboard or mouse. They probably contaminated the evidence."
"We never bring you the keyboard and mouse bagged."
"Well start!" Archie ordered, and then headed for the door. "Doesn't anyone keep up with the trade journals around here? Good God!"
Archie disappeared into the hall continuing to rant.
"Grissom?" Nick asked.
"Yes, Nick?"
"What just happened?"
"I think we're in trouble for overlooking evidence."
"His grandmother died this morning," Wendy told them.
Catherine and Grissom both turned to look at her.
"I guess he's not handling it so well," Wendy added. "I'll go talk to him."
"I'll handle it," Grissom said, holding the swabs in his hand out to Catherine.
"How about you let me handle it Grissom?" Catherine held out her swabs to him.
Grissom shook his head. "I need you to finish these strings, Catherine. I'll talk to him."
"I can talk to him," Greg offered. "He called me this morning when he found out."
Grissom sat his swabs down and then headed for the door. "Thank you, Greg, but you have to finish the piano. I'll talk to him."
Grissom headed for the door.
"You're not going to fire him over this, are you?" Nick asked.
Grissom stopped in his tracks and then turned. The four stared at him and each looked very worried. He realized they hadn't forgotten his reaction to Henry's behavior when his parents had been killed. It disturbed him that they didn't believe he'd learned a few things since then and was capable of handling a lab tech in emotional distress better.
"No, I'm not firing him. If I need help, I'll call one of you. Get back to work."
Grissom walked out of the lab, in search of Archie, who had disappeared since confronting Grissom.
#
Grissom stood at the plain, dented, scratched, old, overstuffed filing cabinet, staring at the door to The Wall, and listening to the person inside crying. He was certain it was Archie. It made sense too. This was a sensible place to disappear, a safe haven.
But now that the moment to talk to Archie about his grief was upon him, Grissom was questioning if he really could face the crying lab tech. In fact, he wasn't real sure how to deal with this alien situation.
With determination, Grissom decided he was going to deal with this, figure out how to help Archie, and he hoped the white magic of The Wall would be there to help him decide what Archie needed to hear tonight.
Grissom reached for the door handle as he slipped between the wall and filing cabinet. He slowly came around the door, finding Archie curled up at the end of the couch with his face pressed against the back of the couch. Grissom walked over and sat down on the opposite end. Archie tried to stop his crying, which only made it worse. Grissom kept his eyes on the floor, not speaking. He didn't want Archie to know how uncomfortable seeing Archie cry made him.
Archie got up suddenly and took one step toward the door.
"I'm sorry to hear about your grandmother."
Archie froze. Grissom looked up at his back.
"Is she the first relative you've lost?"
Archie nodded.
"It's always hard to lose a relative the first time. Anyone who says different either hasn't lost anyone they cared about or is lying."
Archie walked over to the recliner and sat down on the edge.
"You could have called in for bereavement, Archie."
Archie's face clouded and Grissom realized he'd said the wrong thing. He thought quick, trying to figure out a way to salvage the moment that had just been there.
"Can you please tell me what evidence I missed in the keyboard and the mouse?"
Archie sighed, sitting back. "Probably nothing. I'm just the A/V guy."
"If you think I've missed evidence, I need to know about it. I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"We've never collected evidence from either before, so it doesn't matter. I was just being stupid."
"Am I going to have to beg for an answer?"
Archie almost smiled, so Grissom smiled in response when Archie looked up at him.
"There might be skin and hair under the keys. And those track balls roll on ball bearings and they're notorious for collecting gunk. If anyone touched the guy's keyboard or mouse, there might be something there."
Grissom thought about the answer. "I've collected evidence from keyboards before, but not from a mouse. I guess since most people have gone to laser mice, we've gotten out of the habit, haven't we?"
"Even those have some sometimes. The pads they move around on can collect gunk too. And up in that hole where the laser eye is, hair can get caught in there. It annoys me when it does because then the mouse jumps and skips all over the place."
"And you read this in a journal?"
Archie nodded.
"I appreciate you keeping up on techniques for us. We'll look at both."
Archie nodded again, looking at the floor. Grissom sat back in the couch, looking around the room. The old metal table had parts of a half built electronic device. The velvet couch had disappeared and was replaced with a settee with a gaudy floral pattern. A small TV sat on a TV stand that looked like it might give out at any moment. His eyes traveled to the wall.
"It's been a while since I've had a chance to come down here. You all have been very busy with the rules, I see."
Archie chuckled. "Yeah. We have."
442. Although I have a limp, I am not a cranky, drug-addicted, genius doctor who can cure anyone. (Robbin's handwriting)
"When Greg and Nick call him House, he gets in a bad mood," Archie told Grissom.
"Yes. I've been there for a few of his outbursts. I can't say I understand this next one."
443. I am not Malcolm Reynolds. My Denali is not named Serenity. My co-workers are not smugglers of questionable morals and impaired judgment. I should refrain from speaking Chinese while cursing. (Greg's handwriting)
"It's a television show that used to be on. Greg loves the show, he's still mad that it was canceled."
"I was wondering when Warrick was going to get in trouble for picking on short people," Grissom laughed.
444. I am not allowed to annoy my shorter coworkers by walking up to them and poking them while saying, "Poke" in obnoxious voices. Submitted by CSIfreak24 and a friend (Nick's handwriting)
"Mandy was overjoyed when Nick wrote that. Warrick is always giving her shit about being short."
Grissom smiled. He watched Archie slide back in the recliner and mentally gave a nod to the room. Its therapy was at work again, and it always awed him how powerful it was.
"Weren't you a part of that rule?" Archie asked.
445. The death of a quartet does not require a quartet to come to the morgue to serenade during autopsy. (Robbins' handwriting)
"Me? No. I only heard about it and Robbins was about ready to ask for them to be fired."
Archie laughed. He leaned forward, pulling his legs up to hug them.
"I guess Greg, Nick, Hodges, and that new guy were pretty awful. David asked me if it were physically possible for people who sang bad enough to break glass."
"And you said?"
"I don't know. Do you?"
"I don't suspect it is, but I've never conducted an experiment to find out."
"Guess we'll have to try it some time." Archie gave him a series nod. "In case we ever need to know for a case."
Grissom chuckled, making Archie smile.
"Were you close to your grandmother?" Grissom asked.
Archie nodded, resting his chin on his knees. "She and my mom raised me after my dad was killed. She even moved out here so she could help. Hated Nevada too. It was too hot for her. Kinda wish she'd died in Hawaii. She loved Hawaii."
"Is that where you're from?"
"No. That's where she and my mom were from. My mom moved to Los Angeles when she was nineteen." Archie started tearing up again. "I miss Nana."
"If you don't mind my asking, how did she die?"
"Old age." Archie thought about his answer, and then looked up at Grissom. "After all the violent deaths I see come through here, all the horrible way people can die, it's strange to see someone die of old age. She looked so peaceful."
"You were with her when she passed?"
"No. Mom was. I wish I had been."
Grissom looked away. He didn't want to tell Archie he was glad he hadn't been. "What's with the wet floor signs?"
446. I will not move, nor relocate, 'wet floor' signs to test my co-workers mental integrity and balance. Submitted by CSIfreak24 and a friend (Hodges' handwriting)
Archie didn't answer. Grissom turned his head, finding Archie staring at him.
"Everyone keeps moving the wet floor signs to pick on Hodges," Archie answered. "You don't think I should have been there when she died?"
"Why do they keep moving them? And it's not as peaceful as you think."
"It's Hodges. Do you have to ask why anyone does anything to pick on him? Why isn't it peaceful? She looked peaceful when I got there."
Grissom considered both questions at the same time. He nodded. "I guess, since it is Hodges we're talking about, I can see where everyone finds humor in that. It's a very strange thing to be in the room when someone dies naturally."
"Strange how?"
"I can't explain it, Archie. All I can remember is that there was this strange sense of peace followed by an overwhelming feeling that the world suddenly became chaos. It was very strange."
"Who was it?"
"My mother."
Archie nodded. He looked at the floor, probably thinking about Grissom's answer. Grissom turned back to the rules.
"Why do you think Greg has a strange attraction to animals that want to harm him?" Grissom asked.
447. Never try to capture an animal that can jump higher than you can. (Greg's handwriting)
Archie laughed. "The kangaroo story. Have you heard the kangaroo story?"
"I think I might have been gone during this story."
Archie laughed, retelling the story. "A dead guy was found in a car of kangaroos that were being traded between zoos. So Greg gets there and the handler swore up and down that the kangaroo was sedated and they could go in to start collecting evidence."
"They?"
"David was with him. They're busy working, and the handler suddenly grabs David and practically throws him out o the door. He gets a hold of Greg and starts for the door. This kangaroo jumps right over their heads and grabs the handler. Starts beating him up. Greg made a bee line for the door as another handler comes in and starts shooting darts. Greg said he and David refused to go back in until the kangaroos were relocated after that. Yeah, I don't get Greg's animal attraction either. Maybe you should stop giving him animal calls?"
Grissom smiled. "It's too amusing. I don't think I'll stop."
Archie grinned. "Sometimes, Doctor Gil Grissom, you pleasantly surprise me. You have this mean streak in you that shows up every so often and it's hilarious."
"If that's a compliment, thank you. Why don't I know why Henry wrote that?"
448. While monitoring the burn pit, I may not invite my significant other for a 'romantic evening by the fire.' (Henry's handwriting)
Archie laughed, falling against the back of the chair. "You don't know what your star pupil did?"
Grissom chuckled. He could tell this was going to be good. "No. Enlighten me, Archie. What am I glad I didn't catch him doing?"
"You know he's gotta girl, right? Some thing he picked up at college."
"I knew he had a girlfriend, yes."
"The last week of last month, when it was his turn to monitor the burn pit, he snuck her in through the back gate so they could enjoy a romantic evening. Catherine caught them. Haven't you noticed how cool she's been toward him?"
"I can't say I had. But apparently she wasn't mad enough to tell me, so he'll be off the hook soon."
"I wonder why she's never gotten upset when he's snuck Jason in."
"Jason is a special case. I think she sees a CSI in Jason."
"Do you?"
"I see a child that is very smart and whose brother wants Jason to be whatever he wants to be. I don't believe pushing a child in any direction before they're ready."
"But he sure seems to like what you guys do."
"Yes. He does."
"He's even told me he's going to be a CSI like you."
Grissom smiled, hoping he hid his pride behind it. Secretly, he hoped that one day he would be training Jason as his protégé.
"Children look up to adults they're around a lot. It's normal."
"Yeah. I guess. He says he wants to learn all the stuff I know too. Course with that big brain of his he could learn both with room to spare."
Grissom laughed. "Indeed." He looked up at the rules, shaking his head. "What am I going to do with Nicky?"
449. Plotting a crime scene out with football symbols and terms is bad. (Catherine's handwriting)
"He argues it's easier to use football symbology and doesn't clutter up the diagrams."
"Do you agree?"
"Maybe if I could read it."
Grissom nodded. "I feel the same way. Apparently Catherine does too. I see Ecklie has heard Warrick and Nick's latest news bites."
450. I will not retort to annoying journalists, "No comment. Not even how bad in bed you were!" (Ecklie's handwriting)
451. I will not convince urbanites that "the farm animals have taken over the farm and we must flee for our lives!" (Ecklie's handwriting)
"Warrick does it just to piss off Ecklie, you know."
"And what's Nick's excuse?"
"Hmm... The left side and right side fail to communicate."
"Meaning?"
"Oh, you know, the logical side that would normally tell him to shut up doesn't get to the emotional side before it blurts out the stupidest thing at the worst possible times."
Grissom smiled. "I'm fairly certain that's not how Nick's or anyone else's brain works."
"We may never know. Nick may die an enigma even to himself."
Grissom chuckled. "I certainly hope not too much of an enigma. I need him to solve cases."
Archie grinned. "Did you know Warrick did that?"
452. Experiment pigs are not to be put in a dress to serve as dance partners. (Nick's handwriting)
"He tried to blame it on the drugs," Grissom told Ecklie.
"He was on drugs when he did that?"
"Doubtful. And when I told him that would mean he was fired, he tried to say he was drunk. When that only offered suspension, he tried claiming blackmail. Catherine finally told him to just give it up; we all know he was being goofy. It was actually amusing."
"The dressed up pig or Warrick being goofy?"
"Both. Is this you he's talking about?"
453. If caught playing an online game on the clock, the best thing to say isn't, "If you don't write me up, I'll build you a killer character." (Ecklie's handwriting)
Archie's face darkened in color as he smiled and said, "No."
"Archie."
"It would have been a killer character," Archie told him. "And then he wrote me up for it. That man needs to lighten up."
"I'm afraid as a supervisor fun isn't really an option for us."
"You have fun."
"I would have written you up."
"Ugh! You all suck!"
Grissom laughed. "And who did this?"
454. Laptops are not to be used to stop runaway suspects. (Ecklie's handwriting)
"Warrick."
"Warrick?"
"He said it was the nearest item he had that could stop the fleeing suspect. He tossed it, hit him in the head, and caught the guy. The laptop was toast when he brought it to me. And he tries to convince me that he didn't throw it, but little did he know that the store camera was running and I saw the whole thing."
Grissom chuckled. "Nick and Greg here?"
455. I am not allowed to tell suspects, victims, or witness, "My friend wants to know if you are single." Submitted by CSIfreak24 and a friend (Catherine's handwriting)
"Their argument is that's the only time they meet women because they have such a heavy work load. I think Catherine offered to get them time off, unpaid, with a nice little note in their folder if they did it again."
"I can't turn my back for a minute on those two."
"Greg said you were amused by this one. Were you?"
456. If my supervisor asks, "Where were you?" the answer should be simple and to the point. Not something like: "First I had to stop in the Cretaceous period for a few T bones, then I checked in on Galileo to see how the stars were coming, next I had a chat with Joan of Arc – she's badass! – and before coming here, I had tea with Queen Mary the first." (Catherine's handwriting)
"I was amused. He can be extremely creative with his reasons for tardiness."
"And most of them untrue."
"True."
Archie laughed. "I didn't think Warrick could get much darker until he came back from that arson scene."
457. When the fire marshal tells you not to touch anything, take him seriously. (Warrick's handwriting)
"He looked at me," Grissom began, "Had the most innocent look on his face, and tells me, 'Grissom, all I did was lean on a beam. Just a beam. I didn't think the marshal meant everything. And the entire balcony collapsed, covered me and everything else in soot. I swear to you, Grissom, I swear I didn't know it was going to collapse. It just... Fell down.' He was covered from head to toe in soot."
"Maybe superhero Bobby should have come to his rescue."
458. I am not Superman. I may not wear a red cape and blue tights. (Bobby's handwriting)
"Last Sunday, when you and Catherine were off, Bobby was dressed in red and blue. Everyone was teasing him about impersonating Superman."
"Did he have a cape?"
"Not when the shift began."
Grissom laughed. "I miss all the really good stuff on my days off."
"Like Nick's monitoring the burn pit."
459. Filling a water pistol with lighter fluid and spelling things while monitoring the burn pit is bad. (Nick's handwriting)
"He didn't. Did he?"
"He did. Ecklie was on his way home and noticed it kept flaring up. He went over and Nick didn't get the pistol hid fast enough. Then Ecklie, like an idiot, threw the whole gun into the fire."
"Oh... That was the little explosion I heard about. No one could tell me what exactly happened."
"He and Nick got into this huge fight over him writing Nick up, or planning on it. I mean, after all, Nick didn't throw it in the fire, just had it in his possession. To which Ecklie argues that possession is nine-tenths the law. But in the end, he bribed him out of it by buying him breakfast if he would just forget it happened altogether. Nick is far more conniving than anyone gives him credit for."
"I'm pretty sure it's the accent that throws people." Grissom chuckled. "So Greg thinks he's Shaggy. Again."
460. I am not Shaggy, my partner is not Scooby-doo, and we do not have Scooby snacks. (Greg's handwriting)
"Yeah, and Nick wasn't too crazy about being Scooby or that Greg expected him to have Scooby snacks."
"Which case?"
"I'm not sure it was a case. Well, not a real one anyway. Those two have these crazy notions of creating a crime scene to attract girls."
"Does it work?"
"Sometimes. I hate it though, because somehow I always end up being the suspect. Henry get's to be the dead victim. Warrick doesn't seem to mind being the coroner."
"You four need more hobbies, I think."
"What? It's fun!"
"And probably illegal."
"In which state?"
"This one."
"Naw! Can't be. Can it be? How illegal is it playing a dead person?"
Grissom shook his head. "Ecklie's finally caught on to what's really being said in front of him."
461. Vulgar insults are not to be said in the workplace or crime scenes, despite the fact they are said in obscure, dead, or non-existent languages. Submitted by CSIfreak24 and a friend (Ecklie's handwriting)
"He just had to learn Spanish and Japanese didn't he?"
"The Under Sherriff recommended he learn two languages if he wanted to be promoted. He listens to everything that man says."
"That's dangerous."
Grissom nodded. "Yes. I think so too."
"You know, I don't trust that man. He seems... Shifty. He smiles and I just get the chills. Like he's hiding some big secret that you really don't want to know."
"I can't say I trust him either."
"Does he get all over you about stuff?"
"Sometimes. What's with the plate?"
462. Laptops do not double as plates. (Nick's handwriting)
"Yeah, well, Nick apparently uses his to eat off of. And he tried his damndest to convince me that he didn't know how the pizza sauce got in the keyboard."
"Didn't believe him, I take it?"
"Not even if he'd sworn on his mother's life."
"Well, he is the one who seems gullible enough to believe fraculators and ray guns exist."
463. Ray guns do not exist. (Nick's handwriting)
"You have to wonder if he wasn't actually blond at some point. He gets that deer in headlights look, stares at you for a minute, then asks, 'what do you mean that doesn't exist?' I want to just throw up my hands and walk away every time he does that to me."
"That's not bad."
"You don't think so?"
"No. What's bad is when you're talking to him about something important, he suddenly goes on some mental trip away from the conversation and you don't know it, then he suddenly snaps back and asks you, mid sentence usually, 'Wait. What were we talking about?' That's annoying."
Archie was in a fit of giggles before Grissom finished. "Or how about when you're after him about something and he gets this total blank look on his face, then asks, 'What was the question again?' When he does that, I just want to slap him!"
Grissom laughed. "But we don't, because without our Nicky moments the graveyard would be so dull. And apparently Warrick is tired of tomorrow."
464. We do not need to hear your various renditions of "Tomorrow" when the sun starts rising over an outdoor crime scene. (Warrick's handwriting)
"He probably wouldn't be if Greg and Nick could actually carry a tune and didn't scare everyone on the scene when they bust out in a chorus."
"I remember they did that at a scene at Lake Mead last fall. The scene had been quite for a few hours, the sun was just coming up, and there was a flock of geese on the lake nearby. Suddenly those two burst out signing it and scared the geese. I think the geese were asleep before they scared them because they couldn't seem to decide which direction to fly for a few minutes. Two of them crash landed near Nick and bit him."
"Geese can bite?"
"Not in the sense they have teeth, but they can leave a good welt. He favored that side of his buttocks the rest of the morning."
Archie giggled again. "I would have loved to have seen that!"
465. We do not tell rookies that toads are important witnesses and should be held closely while transporting them to the lab. (Greg's handwriting)
466. Mannequins do not need to be questioned, do not need to be read their Miranda rights, are not considered corpses, should not be brought to the morgue for an autopsy, and will not be counted as a disabled but credible witness. (Greg's handwriting)
"Why does he seem to like questioning creatures and inanimate objects?" Archie asked.
"Greg has some deep rooted superstitious beliefs passed down from his Scandanavian relatives."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. Unfortunately."
"Wow... I never knew that about him."
"There are times I wonder how much of them he actually believes, and how much of his beliefs he pretends to believe just to see if I'll question him."
"How often do you question him?"
"Every time."
"So... Wait... How does that work for him?"
"I never said he's considered I won't not ask."
"My head hurts. Moving on."
467. When my boss is assigning cases, I am not allowed to yell "COMMUNIST!" if I do not get the case I wanted. Submitted by CSIfreak24 and a friend (Nick's handwriting)
Archie laughed. "I heard that clear across the lab that day."
"Everyone heard it. I wasn't sure what I was more stunned by: the volume or the word. And then to see that grin on his face... I'm going to grow old before my time, Archie. You guys are going to put me in my grave."
"Me? What did I do?"
468. Lab mice and rats are not to be carried around the lab in your hair. (Catherine's handwriting)
"And don't deny it either," Grissom said.
"I don't deny or admit to anything. All I know is Bruno is a very reliable mouse. We have in depth conversations about various things. He's an excellent listener, you know."
"Bruno?"
"Yes. He's safe now. I kidnapped him and took him home."
"How did you kidnap the mouse Ecklie told you that you could keep?"
"Well... I told Bruno I was kidnapping him. He doesn't know any better."
"I see. And does Bruno watch any of these shows with you?"
469. More shows no longer allowed to be quoted: The Simpsons, American Dad, Family Guy, Grey's Anatomy, House, anything on the Cartoon Network, Hannah Montana, That's So Raven, Little House on the Prairie, Knight Rider, and Supernatural. (Catherine's handwriting)
"A couple, but I only quote them in extreme moments when it's important to quote them and nothing else comes to mind."
"So, basically, when you don't have anything original and witty to say?"
"I guess... Maybe... Yeah."
"Was Greg trying to get himself killed?"
470. If a car is driving straight at me, I will not take on an Iron Man pose and screech, "HALT!" (Greg's handwriting)
Archie nodded.
"I'm about to forbid him from seeing any action movies while he's employed with us. He gets these crazy ideas in his head that he should behave like the characters."
"That's not the movies, Grissom, that's the coffee. Take away his coffee; he'll go back to mostly normal."
"Mostly?"
"I don't think he was born normal."
"I suspect this as well. And yet another sound bite Ecklie probably didn't want to hear."
471. I am not allowed to tell any member of the press that Ecklie's head is shiny due to his state funded, unlimited supply of Turtle Wax. Inspired by CSIfreak24 and a friend (Ecklie's handwriting)
"But David was only being nice."
"David said that?"
"Well, not that exactly, but there was the implication."
Grissom chuckled. "Wow. This crew knows how to press buttons."
"We try where we can."
Grissom stood and stretched, "I'd better go see if Nick and Greg have dismantled the piano or the lab yet."
He looked down at Archie. The lab tech was staring at a rule on the nearby wall, smiling from some memory it brought on.
"Archie, if you need bereavement leave, just tell me. I'll fill out the paper work and submit it tonight."
Archie looked up at him. "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Thank you Grissom."
"You're welcome. I'll see you next Sunday, okay?"
Archie nodded. Grissom walked out of the room.
#
"Wendy," Grissom said, appearing at her side.
"Did you find him?"
"Yes. I want you to pull the keys off the keyboard and collect trace. Also swab the inside of the mouse for trace and DNA."
"Do you think there will be some there?"
"I trust Archie's instincts on this one. I think so. Let me know."
"Sure."
Grissom returned her smile as he turned to leave.
