VI - HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN
Grissom was nervous. Nervous and uncomfortable. Truth be told, if Catherine hadn't already set this up, he wouldn't be going. He had too many other things to work on - the K-ROX murders, for one - and the thought of having dinner with a perfect stranger did not appeal.
Sometimes Catherine was a little too presumptuous, Grissom mused. She had known him for 10 years now, and she knew he was uncomfortable in situations like this. He had a hard enough time relating to people he knew. Of course, he had told her he was going to try opening himself up more to the possibilities around him, but still! Just because he said it didn't mean he was going to become a new man overnight!
His thoughts turned to Sara and Nick. They both seemed so happy, and he was honestly pleased for them. It was okay for him to be disappointed for himself, though - wasn't it? After all, he had imagined himself in love with Sara for years. It was her fault that he now wanted someone to share things with on a more intimate level than ever before. But now, she was with Nick - so where did that leave him?
Grissom nervously straightened his tie as he stepped into Rosa's Italiano Ristorante, quickly looking around.
"Can I help you, sir?" The voice of the hostess broke into his thoughts.
"I'm supposed to be meeting someone here for dinner - my name's Gil Grissom."
"Ah - yes. Right this way sir." Grissom followed the young lady to a table in the far corner. There was a striking looking woman waiting for him, all long dark hair loosely pulled back with a hair clip, wearing a beautiful red pant suit. She stood, and held out her hand.
"Gil Grissom? Mandy Brown. How do you do?"
Grissom shook the proffered hand politely. "Fine thank you. And you?"
Mandy flashed him a charming smile. "Fine. Shall we?" Both sat down. Grissom silently placed his pager and his cell phone on the table to his left. He was uncomfortable. Mandy finally took it upon herself to break the awkward silence.
"So, Gil. I've heard a lot about you from Catherine. She tells me you're a brilliant CSI! What is your field of specialty again?
"Entomology - bugs." Grissom's reply was brief. He looked expectantly at Mandy.
"Bugs? How does that apply to Crime Scenes Investigations?"
Grissom smiled. "It's very interesting really. We can often determine the age of a corpse we may find by the level of bug infestation. For example, if there are no mugs present, we know the body is fresh - if there are eggs and pupa present, older. We can also tell by the type of insects we find on a body how old the body is - some won't inhabit a corpse until the flesh has already started rotting, so." Grissom stopped talking as they were interrupted by the waiter, who had come to take their order. Grissom order a steak, rare, with a Caesar salad and linguine and hot pepper side dish. He looked expectantly at Mandy, who looked ill.
"I'll just have the Shrimp Alfredo, please." She smiled weakly at Grissom. The waiter left.
"Anyway, as I was saying, some bugs -" Grissom stopped talking and he looked at Mandy again. She was definitely green. He looked at his hands, suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry. Probably not an appropriate discussion just before dinner. So, what do you do? You're a lawyer, right?"
Mandy nodded. "I'm a divorce lawyer. That's how I met Catherine. I handled her divorce for her." Again, an uncomfortable silence. Grissom glanced furtively at Mandy. She seemed very tense. He sighed.
"A divorce lawyer. I'm assuming, from all the recent stats, that you're very busy."
"Yes, my day is always full. So, what else do you do, besides study bugs?" she shuddered.
"I'm a forensic scientist, just like Catherine. We study crime scenes and try to find clues in physical evidence left behind. Sometimes a single fiber will give us the clue we need to break open a case. Sometimes it's just keen observation. We just wrapped a case the other day that started off with the murder and sexual abuse of a little boy, and ended up with the murder of a man who had been physically and sexually abusing his daughter and wife, and had murdered his sister and at least 12 other children we know of. And the only reason we caught him is because of clues we were able to piece together from the first victim and from his mother, after she admitted to killing her child." Grissom smiled at Mandy. She didn't smile back, just looked at him. She didn't look happy.
"Do you have any interests outside work?" she asked, pointedly.
Grissom nodded. "I read, I breed and race beetles at bug races across the state - I, uhm - I like crossword puzzles. Golf, too."
Mandy didn't look impressed. When Grissom's buzzer sounded, she looked almost relieved. Grissom quickly looked at his pager.
"Excuse me for one second." He said, picking up his phone, and quickly punching in the number. "I have to call back - this is urgent. Hey Brass. Grissom. What's up? Okay, Nick's suspension is lifted - that's good news. Yeah - what else? Another one? Okay - you're holding it for us since they all appear to tie together, or is Ecklie fussing? Yeah - Fussing. That's what I thought. Okay, I'll meet you there." He hung up, and looked at Mandy. "I'm so sorry. We've got a body that may tie in with a case we're working on, and I have to leave to process it. Maybe a raincheck?"
"No. No - that's not necessary, Gil. It's been nice meeting you, though." Mandy stood, obviously relieved, and shook his hand. "I'll stay here and have my dinner. You go on. Say hi to Catherine for me."
Grissom merely nodded, and flagged the waiter over. "I have to leave - emergency. My friend here is staying though. Can I get the bill, and I'll pay before I go?"
"You're dinner is almost ready, sir. Would you like a doggy bag?"
Grissom nodded again, as he handed the waiter his credit card. "Thanks." He looked at Mandy, and smiled grimly. "I'm sorry. I get the impression you weren't expecting someone like me. I hope you won't be too upset with Catherine."
Mandy waived off his apology. "I'm sure you're a very nice man, Gil. But, honestly - you should find someone who shares the same interests as you. Bugs and blood - they make me squeamish."
* * * * *
Catherine was standing beside Brass when Grissom arrived at the crime scene. She smiled at him sympathetically as he walked over to them. Grissom frowned at her.
Brass looked at Grissom, noting the tie and the suit, and grinned. "Where were you? Court?"
"No. Date." Grissom's voice was clipped. "So, what have we got."
"The other half of the morning show - Jon Waters. He's been shot in the back of the head, execution style. And the killer left us a message."
"Didn't you guys just interview him last night?"
Catherine nodded grimly. "Yes. He's the one who told us Rivers and Phillips had no enemies he could think of. I'm thinking we should send officers to all the judges of this battle of the bands K-ROX was sponsoring. It seems to be the only link so far, and if someone is targeting the judges and sponsors, they could all end up dead."
The three slowly walked toward the body. Waters was lying face down just inside the entry way of his house. A large pool of blood soaked the carpet under what remained of his head. Blood splatter was everywhere. Grissom gingerly stepped into the narrow foyer, and looked on the opposite wall from where the body sprawled. 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' was written there in blood.
"I hate it when killers reference the Beatles." Grissom sighed.
Grissom was nervous. Nervous and uncomfortable. Truth be told, if Catherine hadn't already set this up, he wouldn't be going. He had too many other things to work on - the K-ROX murders, for one - and the thought of having dinner with a perfect stranger did not appeal.
Sometimes Catherine was a little too presumptuous, Grissom mused. She had known him for 10 years now, and she knew he was uncomfortable in situations like this. He had a hard enough time relating to people he knew. Of course, he had told her he was going to try opening himself up more to the possibilities around him, but still! Just because he said it didn't mean he was going to become a new man overnight!
His thoughts turned to Sara and Nick. They both seemed so happy, and he was honestly pleased for them. It was okay for him to be disappointed for himself, though - wasn't it? After all, he had imagined himself in love with Sara for years. It was her fault that he now wanted someone to share things with on a more intimate level than ever before. But now, she was with Nick - so where did that leave him?
Grissom nervously straightened his tie as he stepped into Rosa's Italiano Ristorante, quickly looking around.
"Can I help you, sir?" The voice of the hostess broke into his thoughts.
"I'm supposed to be meeting someone here for dinner - my name's Gil Grissom."
"Ah - yes. Right this way sir." Grissom followed the young lady to a table in the far corner. There was a striking looking woman waiting for him, all long dark hair loosely pulled back with a hair clip, wearing a beautiful red pant suit. She stood, and held out her hand.
"Gil Grissom? Mandy Brown. How do you do?"
Grissom shook the proffered hand politely. "Fine thank you. And you?"
Mandy flashed him a charming smile. "Fine. Shall we?" Both sat down. Grissom silently placed his pager and his cell phone on the table to his left. He was uncomfortable. Mandy finally took it upon herself to break the awkward silence.
"So, Gil. I've heard a lot about you from Catherine. She tells me you're a brilliant CSI! What is your field of specialty again?
"Entomology - bugs." Grissom's reply was brief. He looked expectantly at Mandy.
"Bugs? How does that apply to Crime Scenes Investigations?"
Grissom smiled. "It's very interesting really. We can often determine the age of a corpse we may find by the level of bug infestation. For example, if there are no mugs present, we know the body is fresh - if there are eggs and pupa present, older. We can also tell by the type of insects we find on a body how old the body is - some won't inhabit a corpse until the flesh has already started rotting, so." Grissom stopped talking as they were interrupted by the waiter, who had come to take their order. Grissom order a steak, rare, with a Caesar salad and linguine and hot pepper side dish. He looked expectantly at Mandy, who looked ill.
"I'll just have the Shrimp Alfredo, please." She smiled weakly at Grissom. The waiter left.
"Anyway, as I was saying, some bugs -" Grissom stopped talking and he looked at Mandy again. She was definitely green. He looked at his hands, suddenly embarrassed. "Sorry. Probably not an appropriate discussion just before dinner. So, what do you do? You're a lawyer, right?"
Mandy nodded. "I'm a divorce lawyer. That's how I met Catherine. I handled her divorce for her." Again, an uncomfortable silence. Grissom glanced furtively at Mandy. She seemed very tense. He sighed.
"A divorce lawyer. I'm assuming, from all the recent stats, that you're very busy."
"Yes, my day is always full. So, what else do you do, besides study bugs?" she shuddered.
"I'm a forensic scientist, just like Catherine. We study crime scenes and try to find clues in physical evidence left behind. Sometimes a single fiber will give us the clue we need to break open a case. Sometimes it's just keen observation. We just wrapped a case the other day that started off with the murder and sexual abuse of a little boy, and ended up with the murder of a man who had been physically and sexually abusing his daughter and wife, and had murdered his sister and at least 12 other children we know of. And the only reason we caught him is because of clues we were able to piece together from the first victim and from his mother, after she admitted to killing her child." Grissom smiled at Mandy. She didn't smile back, just looked at him. She didn't look happy.
"Do you have any interests outside work?" she asked, pointedly.
Grissom nodded. "I read, I breed and race beetles at bug races across the state - I, uhm - I like crossword puzzles. Golf, too."
Mandy didn't look impressed. When Grissom's buzzer sounded, she looked almost relieved. Grissom quickly looked at his pager.
"Excuse me for one second." He said, picking up his phone, and quickly punching in the number. "I have to call back - this is urgent. Hey Brass. Grissom. What's up? Okay, Nick's suspension is lifted - that's good news. Yeah - what else? Another one? Okay - you're holding it for us since they all appear to tie together, or is Ecklie fussing? Yeah - Fussing. That's what I thought. Okay, I'll meet you there." He hung up, and looked at Mandy. "I'm so sorry. We've got a body that may tie in with a case we're working on, and I have to leave to process it. Maybe a raincheck?"
"No. No - that's not necessary, Gil. It's been nice meeting you, though." Mandy stood, obviously relieved, and shook his hand. "I'll stay here and have my dinner. You go on. Say hi to Catherine for me."
Grissom merely nodded, and flagged the waiter over. "I have to leave - emergency. My friend here is staying though. Can I get the bill, and I'll pay before I go?"
"You're dinner is almost ready, sir. Would you like a doggy bag?"
Grissom nodded again, as he handed the waiter his credit card. "Thanks." He looked at Mandy, and smiled grimly. "I'm sorry. I get the impression you weren't expecting someone like me. I hope you won't be too upset with Catherine."
Mandy waived off his apology. "I'm sure you're a very nice man, Gil. But, honestly - you should find someone who shares the same interests as you. Bugs and blood - they make me squeamish."
* * * * *
Catherine was standing beside Brass when Grissom arrived at the crime scene. She smiled at him sympathetically as he walked over to them. Grissom frowned at her.
Brass looked at Grissom, noting the tie and the suit, and grinned. "Where were you? Court?"
"No. Date." Grissom's voice was clipped. "So, what have we got."
"The other half of the morning show - Jon Waters. He's been shot in the back of the head, execution style. And the killer left us a message."
"Didn't you guys just interview him last night?"
Catherine nodded grimly. "Yes. He's the one who told us Rivers and Phillips had no enemies he could think of. I'm thinking we should send officers to all the judges of this battle of the bands K-ROX was sponsoring. It seems to be the only link so far, and if someone is targeting the judges and sponsors, they could all end up dead."
The three slowly walked toward the body. Waters was lying face down just inside the entry way of his house. A large pool of blood soaked the carpet under what remained of his head. Blood splatter was everywhere. Grissom gingerly stepped into the narrow foyer, and looked on the opposite wall from where the body sprawled. 'Happiness is a Warm Gun' was written there in blood.
"I hate it when killers reference the Beatles." Grissom sighed.