AN: I don't own any of the CSI:NY Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.
49. New Year
Nikki was leaning against Don, his arms wrapped around her as they watched the fireworks in Central Park at midnight as the new year began. As the last one faded he turned her around and kissed her, slowly and tenderly. She wrapped her arms around him. They stood for several minutes wrapped in their own world. Finally he released her and took her hand, the crowds were thinning out and they began making their way towards the street, walking slowly enjoying the final elements of an amazing evening. Nikki looked up to him. "I've had a good time tonight."
"Me too, but it isn't over yet, I still have plans, I want to show you something" He replied. They hadn't walked much further before a series of screams pierced the cool air. "This way" Don tightened his grip on her hand and pulled her in the direction it had come from.
They moved into a bank of trees. A man was on the ground with a number of people stood around. Nikki pulled a flashlight from her pocket and used it to look around the scene. Don started moving the gathering crowds back as uniformed officers arrived and helped secure the scene. Don returned to Nikki.
"You'd better call it in, I think the ME should see the body before its moved and I'll need Sheldon to give me a hand. Can you ask for him to bring a spare kit unless someone can bring my car." She rattled off instructions the evening forgotten momentarily as she reverted to work mode.
"What does it look like?" Don asked looking at the body of a man.
Nikki ran her flashlight over the victim's stomach again. "Not sure, I'll need more light too." She answered a puzzled expression on her face.
"Hey Flack! Thought it was my trick to find dead bodies on the way home," Danny's voice called as he approached the scene ducking under the tape which had now appeared. Lindsay followed.
"Yeah well this one ain't pretty." Don countered screwing up his face to emphasise his point.
"Thought you hadn't made it" Lindsay said to Nikki.
"Almost didn't we lost track of time during dinner and then had to get from downtown, sorry we didn't find you."
"That's ok, what can I do?" Lindsay asked.
"You guys are off the hook, you're not on call anymore" Nikki answered looking up from the body.
"Actually I am, I swapped with Hawkes for Christmas Day." Lindsay sighed.
Nikki nodded then stood up took off her glove and fished in her pocket pulling out a set of keys and tossing them to Danny. "Dan, my car's on 5th and 82nd any chance you can bring it over?" She asked.
"No problem, you need anything else?" he asked before leaving.
Nikki and Lindsay turned their attention back to the body. "Can I smell sulphur?" Lindsay asked, not sure if the faint smell in the air was significant or not.
"I think so, I caught it too. There's some sort of residue all over him and a nasty injury ... signs of GSR and burning, and debris in the wound." Nikki reeled off as she continued to look over the body. Don joined them.
"No witnesses, the woman who discovered the body actually fell over it in the dark, so I guess you'll want a full work up on her too" he told them as they rolled the body to see the exit wound. Signs of blood under the body and a jagged edge to the wound made interesting findings. Lindsay took a couple of photos on her phone and they rolled the vic back down.
"Whatever did this went right through him, front to back I'd say... how much did our witness disturb the body?" Nikki wanted to know.
"She's pretty traumatised, didn't get much out of her." Don answered glancing over to where she was standing with paramedics who had now arrived. Lindsay wandered in her direction. "What do you think did it?" Don asked.
"I have no idea, I've never seen anything like it." Nikki started scanning the surrounding scene as a vehicle drew up at the tape and Danny got out bringing a camera and a couple of silver boxes.
"Nikki, here, I talked to Mac for ya, him and Stella caught a scene near Time Square, he says you can run with this one, call in anyone you need and call him if you need anything 24/7."
"Thanks Danny" she answered as she took the camera from him and snapped a few pictures. "I'm surprised Lindsay came with you, she was having a rough time earlier." Nikki commented. Danny sighed.
"we just came from a scene near the Plaza. It's been a busy night and she's a sucker for fireworks, should have seen her at the team picnic on 4th July." He answered. "What can I do?"
"We need to find out what actually killed him, I think the shot or whatever came from that direction" She waved her arm to indicate where she meant. "could you take a look?" Lindsay returned as Danny turned to go, he stopped to get her report.
"Flack's right we're not gonna get much out of her tonight. EMS are taking her to Mount Sinai to be checked out. I've asked for them to keep and bag her clothes" She offered.
"Hey guys you need to see this!" Don called from about 30 feet away. The 3 CSIs wandered over to join the detective.
"That's gross, what is it?" She asked as she screwed her face up in disgust at the small trail of apparent body tissue.
"... my guess part of his insides, something high velocity was used to kill our vic for part of him to be over here." Nikki answered as she took photos and placed markers.
"I guess you could say he doesn't have the stomach for this" Don quipped, Nikki looked up and rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Thank you smart ass! ... now can you move our crime scene about another 50 feet that way" she asked pointing in the direction she wanted to go.
"Already on it Princess" he answered. "and I just got word Peyton's on tonight, she's on her way."
"Do we know who the poor bastard is yet?" Danny asked.
"Just about to find out," Nikki answered as she turned to go back to the body. She patted him down and found the pocket with his wallet which she pulled out and flipped open. "Simon Calvin, New York driver's licence, he's ... 32 lives downtown, business card suggests he's lawyer." She told them.
Any thoughts on what killed their vic? what happens next?
