Author's Note: I dunno about this one. It's mostly just a filler. I struggled with this. I know where I'm going with this story, I'm just struggling to get there because I don't know how long I want this to be.
Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.
"You sure he's been in your house?" Brass looked at his friend. "He could have grabbed the jacket from anywhere."
"Sara never let that jacket out of her sight, unless it was in her work locker, my office or our closet." Grissom answered confidently. "Which was why it was so strange when it went missing. I got it for her for our first anniversary. She loves that jacket."
"How could Lurie have gotten in the house without Hank tearing into him?" Brass questioned, knowing how intimidating the dog could be.
"He couldn't." Grissom shook his head. "Hank is extremely protective of his home, especially when it comes to strangers. There's no way Lurie would have gotten into the house with Hank there."
"He must have done it when Hank was at the sitter." Catherine spoke up.
"He hasn't been to the sitter in over a year. Sara doesn't like him being away from home." Grissom sighed. "Lurie had to have done it during one of our walks."
"Which means he knew your routine." Brass said. "He's been watching your house. Watching Sara."
"That's how he knew what scene she would be at when he took her." Grissom said grimly. "He's been following her for God knows how long."
"Alright, let's go see if Miss Quinton can tell us anything else about Dr. Lurie." Brass turned with Catherine following behind him.
"Sorry for the interruption." Catherine said as she sat back down at the table.
"There a problem?" Sasha Quinton quirked an eyebrow.
"Did Vincent Lurie ever tell you where he got the clothes he made you wear?" Brass leaned forward, pointing to the red leather jacket on the table. "Specifically, that jacket?"
"He never said, and I never asked." Sasha shrugged her shoulders.
"What else did he tell you about Sara?" Catherine eyed the younger woman.
"He said she was his second chance. That he wouldn't make the same mistake with her that he made with Debbie." Sasha answered as she leaned back in her chair. "Whatever that means."
"Did he ever take you anywhere, his house maybe?" Brass pressed for more information.
"No. Like I said, we always met up at the Luxor." Sasha replied. "We didn't spend time together outside of our arranged meetings."
"Well, if you don't mind, we'll be taking the jacket." Catherine said as she put on a pair of gloves. "It's evidence."
"I do mind!" Sasha grabbed the jacket. "It's mine. Vince gave it to me!"
"It's not yours!" Catherine's voice rose. "It belongs to a missing CSI who was taken by Vincent Lurie. So, you can either hand it over now willingly or we'll get a warrant and take it anyway. Your choice."
The younger woman sat and stared daggers at Catherine for a few moments before tossing the jacket back onto the table with a dramatic sigh.
"Fine. Take the damn thing." Sasha crossed her arms like a child. "It's faux leather anyway."
"Thanks for your cooperation." Catherine said sarcastically as she placed the jacket into an evidence bag.
"Can I go now?" The brunette eyed the pair across the table.
"Sure, you're free to go." Brass said, motioning toward the door. "If we have any more questions, we'll give you a call."
Sasha Quinton grabbed her purse off the floor and left the interrogation room. Grissom joined his colleagues in the hallway as they exited the room shortly after.
"I'll process Sara's jacket and get it back to you as soon as possible, Griss." Catherine watched him as he stared at the evidence bag in her hands.
"Be careful with it, please." Grissom said quietly. "It's her favorite."
"I will. I promise." Catherine touched his arm before heading back to the lab.
"You want to grab something to eat?" Brass turned to his friend, not giving him a chance to decline. "When's the last time you ate, Gil?"
"I don't even remember." Grissom mumbled.
"Come on. I'm buying and I won't take no for an answer." Brass led his friend outside to his car.
The car ride was silent as Brass drove to the diner. They made their way inside and settled into a booth, Grissom not even bothering to look at the menu. Two cups of coffee were placed in front of the men and then Brass rattled off their orders to the waitress.
"We've hit a wall." Grissom spoke as he stared out the window. "We have nothing."
"Lurie's smart, I'll give him that." Brass took a drink of coffee. "He's not going to get away again, though. I'll make damn sure of that."
"What if it's too late, Jim?" Grissom's voice was hollow. "What if-"
Before Grissom could continue, they were interrupted by the waitress setting their food on the table. Brass thanked the woman before cutting into his steak and eggs. Grissom just stared at his plate.
"You gotta eat, Gil." Brass eyed his friend. "A hunger strike isn't going to help Sara."
"Fine." Grissom sighed and cut into his own steak.
The men ate in silence and much to Brass's relief, Grissom ate all of his food. He knew how worried and stressed his friend had been since Sara's kidnapping and he also knew that Gil was not thinking about himself. He knew Grissom was running on the bare minimum of sleep and that was only because Catherine had practically forced him to take a break. Brass was not about to let Grissom run himself into the ground. He knew Sara would kick his ass if he allowed that to happen.
Brass paid the tab, and the two men made their way back out to the detective's car. They had just pulled out of the parking lot when Grissom's cell phone went off. Flipping it open, he mumbled a greeting before sitting up straight in the passenger's seat.
"What? When?" Grissom spoke quickly. "Okay, we're on our way back to the lab now."
"What is it?" Brass glanced at his friend, seeing the change in his demeanor.
"That was Catherine." Grissom's voice was low. "Sasha Quinton was just found dead."