Disclaimer: I own nothing related to CSI.
CHAPTER 44
"Just for the record, I have no desire to know exactly when you and Grissom started to have sex."
Greg's comment accomplished its goal; it made Sara laugh and smile. The two of them sat in Greg's car in front of Connor Headley's residence. They had been there for the past half hour, and it was coming up on 6 p.m.
"So you're saying that is just one of Nick's' obsessions?" Sara asked.
"Definitely," Greg said with a smile. "It's sad, really."
"Maybe he's just jealous," Sara said.
"Oh I don't know," Greg said. "I mean, I guess it's possible he's always wanted to have sex with Grissom."
Again, Greg got the desired effect from his comment as Sara laughed until she could voice her repulsion. "That is just… so gross."
"Why thank you," Greg replied.
While the mood seemed light, Greg couldn't mistake Sara's anxious nature. He had to give it to her; she was holding it together the best way she could considering the scenario she faced. "What else did you do today?"
"Tried to find out anything I could about the evidence everyone gathered," Sara said, as she took a sip of the lukewarm coffee Greg bought her before they arrived at Headley's house. "Unfortunately, there isn't much to go on."
"Yeah, couldn't find any viable prints off the body prop or the ziploc, and Morgan struck out, too," Greg said. "But we'll find something on the surveillance."
"I went to go check. I think they're sick of me leaning over their shoulders," Sara said.
"Nah," Greg countered. "It's all cool, Sara. We all want to find him, and we will."
Sara bit down on her lip and closed her eyes, only to open them a few seconds later. "He should be here any minute."
"You mean he'll be available any minute," Greg said. "That doesn't mean he'll be driving up at 6:15 sharp…"
Before Greg could finish his sentence, they watched as a late model Toyota pulled into Headley's driveway. Sara looked at the time, which read 6:14 p.m. "I'm guessing he gave himself the extra minute to turn on his cell phone."
"Amazing," Greg said, who grabbed the CB receiver and talked into it. "He seems to be back."
"We saw that, too," Detective Carlos Moreno said from his car, which was parked 200 yards away and across the street from Greg's car. "Nick and I will knock on the door. You going to stay with Sidle?"
Greg saw Sara roll her eyes as he answered the detective. "We'll be here waiting."
Connor Headley entered his residence, and powered up his cell phone. He immediately noticed both text messages and alerts for voice mails popped up on his screen. Humming a tune under his breath, he turned on the lights in his living area and kitchen before sitting on his sofa and checking retrieving his messages.
He was surprised to hear his doorbell ring, following by a succession of loud knocking on his door. "Mr. Headley, this is the Las Vegas Police. Open up, sir."
Headley walked to the door calmly and curiously. He looked through the peephole to see a man he recognized and one he did not, then opened the door calmly. "Mr. Stokes. It is good to see you. Is there something I can help you with?"
"We think there is," Nick answered. "This is Detective Carlos Moreno of the Las Vegas Police Department. You mind if we come in?"
The request seemed to take Headley by surprise. "I actually just arrived a few minutes ago and have yet to settle in."
"We knew that," Nick said. "The receptionist at your research firm told us you would be available at 6:15 this evening."
"And she was indeed correct, as I am literally available," Headley said with a smile. "However, I was hoping for a few moments to decompress before I made my availability complete. But is it safe for me to assume that your presence at my residence in such a timely manner means you seek information on a topic of great importance?"
Nick looked at Moreno with a smile, and motioned for him to proceed to talk to Headley. "It's important. Why don't we come in and you can get yourself a glass of water and we can talk about a few things downtown at the police department."
"Downtown?" Headley said. While not shaken, it was clear the idea didn't make him feel extremely comfortable. "Do you believe I have done anything to warrant suspicion or wrongdoing?"
"It's just going to be a conversation, Mr. Headley," Moreno said gently.
"May I ask of what subject we would be discussing?"
"It concerns a missing person case involving Gil Grissom," Moreno said.
Again, Headley looked surprised. "Mr. Stokes you had called me before my two-day sabbatical about Mr. Grissom," Headley said. "Nothing has changed in regards to my involvement with Mr. Grissom since you and I briefly discussed the matter."
"As a researcher I'm sure you understand the importance of recorded interviews," Moreno said, trying to appease Headley's obvious meticulous nature. "We would like to get a recorded statement from you about what you know, even if the scope is limited."
The tactic seemed to work. Headley was a stickler for recorded interviews, as well. "Very well. If you don't mind waiting a moment, I would like to change a portion of my outfit and, perhaps, indeed have a drink of water," Headley opened the door wider for the men. "You are welcome to come inside my residence and wait."
"Thank you," Moreno said as he lead Nick inside Headley's house. "But there's no need to change. Why don't you just get a drink and we'll be on our way."
Headley smiled pleasantly at the detective. "As you said, we are only going to have a conversation. I simply want to be comfortable." He picked up his overnight bag from the side of the sofa and made his way to his bedroom. "You gentlemen are welcome to sit down. If you could just give me a short moment of privacy."
The men walked around the room. Headley's home seemed conventional, if not sparse. But on the walls hung several close up photos of various flowers. "I never pegged you for a floral kind of guy, Mr. Headley," Nick called out toward Headley's bedroom.
Headley strolled out of his room with a new pair of pants and shoes. He was buttoning a long-sleeved shirt as he walked to the kitchen. "I enjoy taking photos of flowers, Mr. Stokes. As an amateur photographer, I find that botanicals in nature make the best models, as they don't fidget or have a mind of their own." He retrieved a glass from his cupboard and filled it with water. "As long as I understand the flower's immediate surroundings and settings, such as light, shadow and wind variations, I find it is easy to evaluate and control the photographic environment leading to results pleasing to the eye."
After finishing his drink, Headley put his glass in his sink and approached his two visitors. "I apologize for not offering you anything. I assumed from your previous comments you might be in a rush to get to the police department."
"No apologies necessary, Mr. Headley," Moreno said. "Let's get going."
Brass joined Greg and Sara outside the interrogation room waiting for Nick and Moreno to question Headley. Moreno was looking over background information Brass gathered about the researcher.
"Straight-laced seemed to fit him well," Moreno remarked. "Nothing unusual in his background or his financials. And there are no charges or anything during the time of his 'sabbatical?' Two days no charges whatsoever. And you're saying he wasn't at home?"
"Right," Brass said. "That might be something interesting to chat about."
"That and the documentary he is working on," Nick added.
"Yeah," Brass said. "Ask him about the odd date range that occurred in 2006 documented during the Landry investigation."
"You mean Grissom's hunch?" Nick asked.
"Never know," Brass said. "Mentioning it might make him flinch."
As Moreno and Nick moved into the interrogation room, Brass moved behind Sara. "You doing OK?"
Sara turned around, "Yeah, Jim. Thanks."
While she drew her attention back to the window of the interrogation room, Brass and Greg exchanged a look. Wordlessly, they communicated they would keep an eye on her.
Headley sat on his side of the table in a familiar stance — hands clasped in front of his with a pleasant, yet blank look on his face. He took a deep breath and smiled as Nick and Moreno entered the room and sat across from him.
"OK, Mr. Headley," Moreno started. "We just want to remind you again this is a recorded interview."
"Of course, Detective," Headley said clearly. "I await your specific inquiries and will answer them to the best of my abilities."
"Great," Moreno said. "So where were you these last couple of days?"
Headley cocked his slightly and looked down at his hands before answering. "I had taken two mental health days to recharge myself mentally. I spend time away from my conventional lifestyle in a personal retreat space that I have developed. It is off the grid, if you will, and allows me the quiet refuge to clear my head."
"So, what are we talking about here?" Moreno said. "You go to the desert?" A sweat lodge?"
"Or maybe you went to a girlfriend's house?" Nick said. "Or a big cabin on the lake?"
"Nah, maybe he's more of a spiritual guy," Moreno said. "You go to a monastery with chanting monks?"
"Or maybe something close to home?" Nick added. "A treehouse in your backyard?"
"None of the above," Headley said evenly. "As I said it is a personal space that I keep to myself to minimize any interruptions during my retreat time."
"Well, other than you, who knows about your whereabouts during this 48-hour period?" Moreno asked.
"Other than myself? No one," Headley said. "I cannot help but be curious about these questions. You had mentioned offering information about a missing person investigation involving Mr. Grissom, but I fail to understand how cataloging my whereabouts for the last 48 hours could aid in your investigation."
"There has been a spike in activity in the investigation within the last 48 hours," Moreno said. "You have no charges on your financials during this time to give us an idea of what you've been doing and where you have been doing it."
"When embarking on this self-imposed exclusion from society, I take 'going off the grid' very seriously, pre-planning and pre-packing so that I don't need to interface in a technological manner," Headley said.
"I guess I just wish there was someone who could verify what you've been doing, Mr. Headley."
"Well, there is not anyone who can verify my whereabouts, including Mr. Grissom, as I have been without companionship for 48 hours," Headley said.
"OK, we might come back to this later," Nick started. "But for now, why don't you tell us about the documentary you're working on for the Landry case."
"It is inappropriate to say I am working on the documentary," Headley said. "I provided services from the producer of the documentary — Colton Chapman of Hardline Productions."
On the other side of the glass, Sara took out her cell phone and did a google search on Hardline Productions. "That was the name of the guy. Dammit. I should have thought of doing this before," she said aloud to no one in particular.
"Why do you go to my office and use my computer," Brass said. "I'll text you if something interesting happens."
Sara nodded her thanks and went off.
Nick leaned back in his chair and studied Headley before asking another question. The man seemed cool, calm and collected. "Now, did you contact Mr. Chapman about the work or did he call you?"
"Mr. Chapman contacted me approximately nine and a half weeks ago to discuss a role I would take in offering him research and background."
"He called you out of the blue?" Nick said. "Did you know him?"
"Yes, Mr. Stokes, I am acquainted with Mr. Chapman and his work," Headley said. "I had worked with Mr. Chapman on three other occasions in the last seven years in various research capacities. As far as calling me out of the blue, as you ask, I was moderately surprised of his call. However, I was happy to hear his proposal and correspond through email and phone about the mission of the project and expectations of the research facility's role. "
"You guys didn't meet in person?" Moreno asked
"No, Detective, that is not a necessity," Headley said.
"And as far as staff in your facility, who else did he correspond with?"
"I was the sole point of contact for Evaluation and Management Research and Psychological Services," Headley said.
"Even for financial dealings?" Moreno said. "I mean, I'm sure you weren't doing this out of the kindness of your heart?"
"Not at all, Detective. But I went ahead and volleyed the appropriate forms because our finance office and Mr. Chapman. And every ran smoothly on that front."
"The research," Nick asked. "We know you talked with both myself and CSI Sidle and you were looking to speak to Gil Grissom."
"Yes, about his fascinating theory concerning a possible undocumented survivor," Headley added.
"Yeah, that," Nick said. "But you also interviewed Harold Cummings and Marshall Landry, right?"
With the slightest bit of movement, Headley scratched his right forearm before he spoke. "I did a videotaped interview with Mr. Cummings on one occasion and with Mr. Landry on two occasions."
"Landry," Nick said. "What a piece of work he is, huh?"
"Agreed," Headley said.
"But I thought you interviewed them both before you spoke to us about the investigation. Did you interview Landry twice before you talked with us."
"Actually, I did not, Mr. Stokes. Because of the information you offered about your former supervisor's theory, I scheduled another interview with Mr. Landry to discuss the new information."
"You do all these interviews, so what did this Chapman guy say about all your research? Was he happy with it?"
"I'm not sure how he would quantify his happiness about the footage, however, if you are asking if he was satisfied, I believe he was," Headley said.
"Now for a guy like you, that sounds like you're guessing," Nick said. "What you do you mean by you believe he was? Did he say he liked it or not."
"He offered neither response, Mr. Stokes."
"Well, without knowing if he's satisfied or not, how do you know if you going in the right direction?" Nick said. "You're a real meticulous guy, Headley, and you seemed excited about the prospect of talking to Grissom, but when I called you the other day, it sounded like you couldn't care less to pursue that lead or not."
"I'm not sure how you might have gleaned that perspective, Mr. Stokes."
Nick moved forward. "When I asked you if you called Grissom, you said you did to see if you could talk with him about this theory."
"That's correct."
"And you made a follow-up phone call with him three days later and left a message on his machine."
"Again correct, Mr. Stokes."
"And you didn't call him again. I asked you that, and you replied, 'I did not.'"
Headley shook his head, and then caught himself. He was being recorded and he needed to voice all replies. "Yes, Mr. Stokes," his voice cracking slightly. "I did not call him again. That is correct."
"Well, you're missing one phone call," Moreno said.
Headley turned his attention to Moreno, a look of concern on his face. "Excuse me, Detective?"
"According to Grissom's phone records, there another call from Evaluation and Management Research and Psychological Services about an hour after your short conversation with Mr. Grissom."
The statement perplexed Headley. It was a moment that Brass thought he should text Sara about, but as he went to take out his phone, he noticed Sara had stealthy returned standing behind Greg and studying Headley with intensity.
"Mr. Headley?" Moreno asked as he slid a copy of Grissom's phone records across the table in Headley's view. "You want to explain that extra phone call? It seemed to last almost seven minutes."
Headley looked down at the evidence and shook his head. "I have no explanation for that call, with the exception of stating I did not make it."
"You own a Toyota, right Mr. Headley?"
The change of questioning from Detective Moreno jarred Headley momentarily. "Yes, I do."
"Camry?"
"Yes. It's a popular car. Quite reliable."
"I'm sure. Especially when you're traipsing in the middle of nowhere on retreat," Moreno said with a laugh. "Wouldn't want a car to break down stranding you on a permanent retreat."
"It's reliability is what makes it so popular," Headley said. "It is this year's top selling car by a margin of some 7,000 units over the Ford F-150 pickup truck."
"Well, we are really only interested in one Camry," Moreno said. "Specifically one that was parked outside the CSI lab quite early this morning."
Moreno took out a photo of video surveillance taken from that morning that shows a Toyota Camry parked alongside a meter near the CSI parking lot. It only showed a portion of the license plate, which seemed obscure.
"This vehicle, while a Camry, seems to be a different year and/or model than my own," Headley observed. "Have you identified the owner of this Camry?"
"Not yet," Moreno replied. "But we will."
"I wish you good fortune on that endeavor."
"Let's go back to that phone call to Grissom, Headley," Nick said. "If you didn't call him, who did?"
"I wish I could tell you, Mr. Stokes, but I cannot."
"Why? Because you were the only one working on the project for this Colton Chapman guy?"
"No, I was not..."
"Of course not," Nick said, interrupting Headley. "It's not like you could do the sound work and the video work by yourself." Nick took out another paper from his folder that showed the visitor's log from the correctional facility where Marshall Landry permanently calls home. "Tell us about this Philip Beck guy. He went to the prison with you. Did he know about Grissom?"
With an uncharacteristic, albeit muted flourish, Headley flashed up his hands as he spoke. "Philip is a freelance videographer who I have worked with for several years. He is a pleasant and professional young man. He would only have known Mr. Grissom's name as it was used during the second interview with Mr. Landry. I did not go into specifics with the case with Philip, only that a follow-up interview was necessary due to new information gathered from previous interviews. However, it was something Mr. Landry and I talked about in length during the videotaped interview."
"What are you talking about?" Nick said. "That couldn't have been the first time he heard about Grissom and that theory. He would have heard about it when he did the audio from the interview me and Sara."
At that, Sara spoke up. "I don't think that was the guy who did the audio with us."
Although he could not hear Sara's words, Headley mimicked her statement. "Philip did not produce the audio for that interview, Mr. Stokes. That was Mitchell Robertson."
"What? Philip not good enough to do audio?"
"Mr. Robertson was a freelancer hired by Mr. Chapman," Headley explained. "He served in some capacity as a liaison between myself and Hardline Productions. Mr. Chapman had vetted him personally."
"So, why didn't he go to the prison with you?"
"Like me, Philip has the credentials to enter the correctional facility, as he has videotaped several prisons for various projects. As a freelancer, Mr. Robertson has never pursued credentials within the Nevada correctional system, and believed it best to use Philip since he was available."
"Robertson did know about Grissom and his theory?"
"Well, yes, he did."
"So, would he have made the phone call?"
"I suppose it is a possibility, but I'm not sure he was in the building at that time …" Headley seemed to take a measured breath. "Shouldn't that be something to ask Mr. Robertson?"
"You know Headley, for someone who seems to be measured and detail-oriented, you are looking like someone who has absolutely no idea what's going around him."
"Mr. Stokes, I do not understand your reasoning for such a statement."
"Come on," Nick chided. "You remember exactly when you called Grissom, but can't account for a call a measly one hour later. You get all excited about a theory that Grissom came up with, so excited that you head down to the prison almost immediately so you can talk about it with Marshall Landry, and then you don't follow-up with Grissom himself. Does that make sense? I mean, for all we know you made that call an hour later, set up a time to meet with him, you meet Grissom, and then left a message on his machine three days later to make it seem like you never got together with him."
Headley closed his eyes and shook his head. On the other side of the glass, Sara watched every movement he made closely.
"It is true, Mr. Stokes, that I wanted to interview Mr. Grissom, but your scenario couldn't be more off base."
"If you wanted to talk with Grissom so bad, then why the hell didn't you follow-up?"
"Because Mr. Chapman has since suspended the documentary, effectively ceasing my role in research."
tbc
A/N: Thanks again to Chauncey for the edit. More to come. And thanks to all the readers.
And today is my friend, Alan's birthday. Even though you'll never see this, Happy Birthday, Buttercup!
