III - SET-UP
Greg Sanders was whistling as he bent over the knotted VHS tape and gingerly began trying to untangle it. He didn't know what would be salvageable, if anything, but one could always hope. The entire process was tedious - first, he had to rinse the tape in a warm solution that he *hoped* wouldn't dissolve the film, then he had to unravel it through the myriad of knots and kinks it had been formed into. To his left, a sterile tray sat, waiting for pieces of tape that Greg deemed salvageable. The front end of the tape - the part that had been hanging out of River's mouth - had already been cut and placed there. A neatly lettered # 1 was placed neatly beside the film.
He was so focused on his job, he didn't hear Nick until he was right behind him.
"Hey Greggo! Watcha' doing?"
"Oh shit! Nice one Nick - you made me tighten this knot instead of loosening it. Don't sneak up on me like that!" Greg looked at Nick and scowled. "You scared the crap out of me!"
"I can tell. Your hairs standing straight up on end!" Nick teased. "C'mon - I'm sorry. What are you doing?"
"For you information, I am trying to untangle this mess. Robbins retrieved it from the throat of Randy Rivers - the DJ from K-ROX - and Grissom is wondering if we can see what's on it." He turned back to his task, gently washing another section of tape. "What are you doing here? Internal Affairs close the investigation already?"
Nick plopped down on a stool next to Greg and grunted. "No. Not yet. But I was bored, so I thought I'd pop by and see what's going on. See if maybe Sara could take an early coffee break or something."
"She's not here. She's with Warrick and Grissom. Catherine too, I suppose. We got two bodies tonight, Randy and his station manager. They're over at K-ROX right now processing the scene. I think she was going to try to grab some files or some information on Rivers at the station, and come back here to start sifting, though. She may be back soon."
Nick sat silently for a few moments, watching as Greg untangled about 6 inches of tape before snipping it, and placing it neatly on the tray, beside the number 2. "Greg, I'm going crazy here. I have to do something. Is there anything I can help with?"
Greg looked at Nick and grinned. "Well, you could get me a cup of coffee. And a sandwich. I'm starved."
Nick looked at Greg and shook his head good naturedly. "Considering you bought me this hideous shirt I'm wearing, I think you're pushing your luck today. What do I look like? A waiter?"
Greg laughed. "C'mon Nick. You know you love it! If you get me a coffee, I'll let you untangle this mess while I eat."
"Done." Nick was off the stool in an instant. "Roast beef okay for you?"
* * * * *
Grissom and Catherine were carefully sifting through the mess in Philips office. The body had been photographed, processed and removed, and all that remained was a final thorough sweep. Every once in a while, Grissom would bend down and look intently at the papers strewn around the floor. So far, it appeared they were all memorandums.
"Hey Gil." Catherine's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at her, watching as she studied the blood splatters on the left side of the room.
"Yes? Find anything?"
"No. Just wanted to ask you something." Catherine turned to look at him, smiling. "You remember when you asked me last night if I knew anyone you could date?"
Grissom cocked an eyebrow at her, and shook his head. "No. I remember agreeing with you that I should leave the Nick and Sara thing alone."
"And then you said you wanted to open up more, and asked me if I knew anyone who could help you do that. Remember?"
Grissom sighed. "I think that was a rhetorical question, Catherine. Now, if we could get back to our investigation -"
"Oh no you don't, Gil. You remember. And I think I found someone, so I set you up - you're meeting her for an early dinner tomorrow, before shift starts. Her name is Mandy Brown, and she's a lawyer, and-"
"I'm not going." Grissom's voice was firm, and a little angry. "I don't do blind dates."
"You do now." Catherine replied. "Come on, Grissom. She's a nice lady. I've told her all about you, and she's interested in meeting. What harm could there be? If you don't want to go, you can call and cancel yourself. Besides, you did ask me -"
Grissom interrupted her. "I didn't mean for you to set me up on random blind dates without even getting any input from me first! How do you know I'm not busy tomorrow."
Catherine just looked at him, and started picking up some of the papers on the floor, stacking them into neat piles. Her raised eyebrow said it all.
"Okay. Alright. I don't have any plans. I'll go. But this is the first time - and the last time - you'll ever set me up on a blind date. Got that, Catherine?"
Catherine nodded, smiling meekly even as her eyes flashed amusement at Grissom's discomfort. "Yes, Gil. Now, let's box this paper up and get back to the office. Maybe Robbins or Greg might have some more news for us. So far, the evidence is surprisingly lacking."
Greg Sanders was whistling as he bent over the knotted VHS tape and gingerly began trying to untangle it. He didn't know what would be salvageable, if anything, but one could always hope. The entire process was tedious - first, he had to rinse the tape in a warm solution that he *hoped* wouldn't dissolve the film, then he had to unravel it through the myriad of knots and kinks it had been formed into. To his left, a sterile tray sat, waiting for pieces of tape that Greg deemed salvageable. The front end of the tape - the part that had been hanging out of River's mouth - had already been cut and placed there. A neatly lettered # 1 was placed neatly beside the film.
He was so focused on his job, he didn't hear Nick until he was right behind him.
"Hey Greggo! Watcha' doing?"
"Oh shit! Nice one Nick - you made me tighten this knot instead of loosening it. Don't sneak up on me like that!" Greg looked at Nick and scowled. "You scared the crap out of me!"
"I can tell. Your hairs standing straight up on end!" Nick teased. "C'mon - I'm sorry. What are you doing?"
"For you information, I am trying to untangle this mess. Robbins retrieved it from the throat of Randy Rivers - the DJ from K-ROX - and Grissom is wondering if we can see what's on it." He turned back to his task, gently washing another section of tape. "What are you doing here? Internal Affairs close the investigation already?"
Nick plopped down on a stool next to Greg and grunted. "No. Not yet. But I was bored, so I thought I'd pop by and see what's going on. See if maybe Sara could take an early coffee break or something."
"She's not here. She's with Warrick and Grissom. Catherine too, I suppose. We got two bodies tonight, Randy and his station manager. They're over at K-ROX right now processing the scene. I think she was going to try to grab some files or some information on Rivers at the station, and come back here to start sifting, though. She may be back soon."
Nick sat silently for a few moments, watching as Greg untangled about 6 inches of tape before snipping it, and placing it neatly on the tray, beside the number 2. "Greg, I'm going crazy here. I have to do something. Is there anything I can help with?"
Greg looked at Nick and grinned. "Well, you could get me a cup of coffee. And a sandwich. I'm starved."
Nick looked at Greg and shook his head good naturedly. "Considering you bought me this hideous shirt I'm wearing, I think you're pushing your luck today. What do I look like? A waiter?"
Greg laughed. "C'mon Nick. You know you love it! If you get me a coffee, I'll let you untangle this mess while I eat."
"Done." Nick was off the stool in an instant. "Roast beef okay for you?"
* * * * *
Grissom and Catherine were carefully sifting through the mess in Philips office. The body had been photographed, processed and removed, and all that remained was a final thorough sweep. Every once in a while, Grissom would bend down and look intently at the papers strewn around the floor. So far, it appeared they were all memorandums.
"Hey Gil." Catherine's soft voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked up at her, watching as she studied the blood splatters on the left side of the room.
"Yes? Find anything?"
"No. Just wanted to ask you something." Catherine turned to look at him, smiling. "You remember when you asked me last night if I knew anyone you could date?"
Grissom cocked an eyebrow at her, and shook his head. "No. I remember agreeing with you that I should leave the Nick and Sara thing alone."
"And then you said you wanted to open up more, and asked me if I knew anyone who could help you do that. Remember?"
Grissom sighed. "I think that was a rhetorical question, Catherine. Now, if we could get back to our investigation -"
"Oh no you don't, Gil. You remember. And I think I found someone, so I set you up - you're meeting her for an early dinner tomorrow, before shift starts. Her name is Mandy Brown, and she's a lawyer, and-"
"I'm not going." Grissom's voice was firm, and a little angry. "I don't do blind dates."
"You do now." Catherine replied. "Come on, Grissom. She's a nice lady. I've told her all about you, and she's interested in meeting. What harm could there be? If you don't want to go, you can call and cancel yourself. Besides, you did ask me -"
Grissom interrupted her. "I didn't mean for you to set me up on random blind dates without even getting any input from me first! How do you know I'm not busy tomorrow."
Catherine just looked at him, and started picking up some of the papers on the floor, stacking them into neat piles. Her raised eyebrow said it all.
"Okay. Alright. I don't have any plans. I'll go. But this is the first time - and the last time - you'll ever set me up on a blind date. Got that, Catherine?"
Catherine nodded, smiling meekly even as her eyes flashed amusement at Grissom's discomfort. "Yes, Gil. Now, let's box this paper up and get back to the office. Maybe Robbins or Greg might have some more news for us. So far, the evidence is surprisingly lacking."