Relativity - by kyrdwyn
Rated: R - adult themes, etc.
Spoilers: none to the series
Synopsis: Gil gets a call from an old friend that causes him to confront someone from his past.
Disclaimer: I own all original characters in the story. Gil and the CSI crew are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Alliance Atlantis, other companies, and the actors who bring them to life.
Feedback is welcome and appreciated.
-------------------------------------------------
The phone ringing in the middle of the night wasn't unusual. When he'd gone to bed, he'd made sure both his regular phone and cell phone were nearby.
"Hello?"
"Gil? It's Natalie."
"Natalie?" He sat up in bed, running his fingers through his hair. He hadn't heard from Natalie in over a year. "What's up?"
"I need your help, Gil. I'm kind of in a jam here."
"A jam? What kind of jam? Something happen at the school?" Natalie taught second grade in a Los Angeles private school.
"There's been a murder at the school. The body was found in my classroom. They haven't arrested anyone yet, but you know I'm going to be a suspect." She paused, and when she spoke again he could hear the tremor in her voice. "Gil, I'm so scared. I know the person who was found."
Gil was already getting dressed from the time Natalie had mentioned a murder. "I can be in LA in five hours, Nat. Just remember - don't talk to the police until they talk to you. Don't volunteer anything. Got a pen? Good," Gil gave her his cell phone number. "Call me if anything happens, okay?"
"Okay. Thanks so much, Gil. I hate to impose but I just didn't know who else to call."
"Natalie," he said to the woman who should have been his sister by marriage, "you know I'll always help you. No matter what."
* * * * *
Grissom was two miles from the state line when he realized that he hadn't called Catherine. He stopped at a gas station to fill up and dialed her cell phone.
"Catherine Willows."
"Cath, it's Grissom. Look, I'm taking some personal time for the next week. Can you run the unit?"
She was silent for a moment. "When did this come up?"
"A few hours ago. I know it's sudden but it's important. It's personal," he reiterated.
She sighed. "Okay, but you are going to owe me when you get back."
"I know. Thanks, Catherine."
* * * * *
Natalie opened the door before Gil had the chance to knock. Her face, normally so open and carefree, was lined with worry. She was in jeans and a sweatshirt, her reddish hair disheveled.
"Oh God, Gil," she said as she stepped back to let him in. "This is all so freaky."
He shut the door behind him. "Just tell me what happened, Nat. It'll be okay."
She turned and walked into her living room, and he followed. "One of the other teachers went into the school yesterday to decorate her classroom for the new semester. She noticed the door to my room was open, looked in, and found the body. The police said it was Josh Carlyle. He's another teacher - 8th grade."
"The police have talked to you?"
"They came by the other night. Wanted to know where I was the other day. I told them I spent the day at home - I was painting one of the upstairs bedrooms. They asked to see the room, and I showed them."
"What else did they ask?" He watched Natalie as she paced around the living room, her bare feet silent on the wood floor. He stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He felt a little odd - listening to someone talk about being questioned. Especially Natalie.
"If I got along with Josh, etc. He was a good teacher. He would ask me out at least twice a semester. But I kept telling him his wife would object."
"He was married?"
"Yeah. Look, Gil, I didn't kill him."
"I know."
Natalie stopped in her pacing and stared at him, stunned by his calm statement. She sank down onto her couch. He came over and sat down next to her. "Look, Nat, I know this is overwhelming. But the police will find who did this."
"Or rather the crime scene guys will?" she asked with the first smile he'd seen since he'd arrived.
He smiled at her smile. "Yeah, they will."
Natalie's smile faded and she looked like she was about to cry. "Gil, the body was found in my classroom!" Her voice rose. "My fingerprints, my hairs - everything! I listened to the conversations between you and Dawn!"
Gil reached out to touch Natalie's hand. "The killer will have left something of himself behind as well, Natalie. Something that shouldn't be in your classroom. The lab boys will find it."
"I wish I had your faith in science, Gil," she said bitterly.
He sighed, understanding the tone. "I wish I had your faith in people."
* * * * *
Julia Raven looked across the body at Detective Martin. "Blunt force trauma to the cranium. Probably a baseball bat, I'd say aluminum since I didn't find any splinters in the wound."
"Anything else?"
"No sign of sexual activity. No ligatures, but his arms were nearly removed from their sockets. Given his size and weight, I'd say your killer dragged him by his arms to where you found the body. There is some discoloration on the wrists, here, that could be a bruise from the killer's fingers. Couldn't get any fingerprints off the skin, though."
"Think someone 5'6 and 155 pounds could drag him?"
Julia tilted her head to one side. "Maybe, but he's got about 5 inches and 70 pounds on them. The person who dragged him would be pretty sore, probably have shoulder problems. What about your suspect?"
"She claims she was painting her guest bedroom the day he was killed. Showed us the room, too. Nice touch, huh?"
"Might explain any shoulder problems. Then again, she could be telling the truth," Julia cautioned the detective. Gayle smiled.
"Well, let me know if you find anything else."
Julia watched Gayle walk out of the room and sighed. The other woman had a well-deserved reputation for tenacity. Julia almost felt sorry for the suspect if she was innocent.
* * * * *
Natalie was still asleep when Gil got up the next morning. He started the coffee maker and sat at her kitchen table. The last time he'd been in Natalie's house, he and Dawn had been on a visit shortly after they'd become engaged. That was three years ago, and he'd practically been a different person. Natalie had come down for breakfast to find Dawn on his lap, their breakfast turning cold. Natalie had made a remark about public displays of affection, and they'd broken off the kiss.
Gil filled his coffee mug. He still woke up at night from dreams about Dawn. His house was too empty now without her around. He missed waking up in the afternoons to hear her quiet footsteps when she got home from school. Like Natalie, Dawn had been a teacher, and she had loved her job they way he loved his.
The ringing of the doorbell brought him out of his memories. He frowned, moving from the kitchen to the front hall. He didn't want the visitor to wake Natalie up. He had a feeling she hadn't slept since the police had questioned her. He wished she had called him right after that, rather than waiting a day.
He peered through the peephole. An unfamiliar woman stood on the doorstep. He disengaged Natalie's alarm system and opened the door.
"May I help you?"
The woman looked at him in surprise. "Who are you?"
"I think that's my question," he said mildly, not moving from the door.
"I'm Detective Martin, LAPD," she said, holding up her shield. Gil glanced at it.
"What can I do for you, Detective?"
"I'm looking for Natalie Jensen."
"May I ask why?"
Detective Martin glared at him. "Its in regard to an ongoing investigation into a homicide that occurred at Ms. Jensen's school. Who are you, anyway?"
"Gil Grissom. I'm a friend of Natalie's."
"Mr. Grissom, you are interfering in a police investigation by not allowing me to speak to Ms. Jensen."
Gil raised an eyebrow. "Detective, you haven't asked to speak to Natalie."
She glared at him again, but couldn't argue with him. "Well, then, may I speak with Ms. Jensen, Mr. Grissom?" Her voice was clipped.
"Certainly. Let me get her for you," Gil said before closing the door, leaving Detective Martin on the step. Normally, he wouldn't have been so rude, but the woman's attitude was bothering him. He turned to find Natalie standing on the steps, her hand over her mouth and laughter sparkling in her green eyes.
"You're terrible, Gil," she said as she came down the steps and opened the door. "Detective Martin, come in. Forgive my friend, he just got in last night and is a little grouchy before his first cup of coffee."
Detective Martin walked past Gil into the living room, Natalie following. Gil closed the door and followed them to lean against the wall.
"So, Ms. Jensen, how are your shoulders?"
Natalie frowned. "My shoulders are fine."
"Are you sure? You were painting the other day," Detective Martin said, her voice indicating her disbelief.
"Yes, I was. But I've been re-painting my house for the past month. Look, if you don't believe me, check down at the Home Depot. Melvin in Paints knows me by name."
Detective Martin wrote this down, but she didn't look convinced. "So, Mr. Grissom," she asked. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a forensic scientist with the Las Vegas Police Department."
That got the detective's attention. "Really? Convenient for you to be in Los Angeles at this point."
"No, Natalie called me and asked me to come down here to act as moral support."
"And do you always provide 'moral support' to your friends in other cities, Mr. Grissom?"
"When that friend also happens to be the sister of my fiancée, yes, I do."
* * * * *
Gayle Martin found Julia Raven in her office, typing up her report on the computer.
"You get anything else on that dead teacher?"
"Yep. Toxicology report shows traces of morphine - the chemical breakdown of heroin. Looks like he'd been doing heroin at some point before his death. I went back and found a needle mark in between his toes. Hard to tell if it was voluntary or not, though."
"Oh come on, Dr. Raven. Not voluntary?"
Julia shrugged. "I only found one needle mark on his entire body. One. He hadn't been snorting anything up his nose, either. So, either it was his first time or someone else injected him."
"How many people would you let near your feet with a needle?"
"I wouldn't let my husband near my feet with a needle. But that's not the point. He didn't have to know they were going to inject them. He just had to be comfortable enough to be barefoot around them. Probably something like wife, lover, etc."
"His wife claims she was shopping when she was killed. No credit card activity that day. And the teacher was painting her house."
"Was the teacher his lover?"
"She says no. Oh, and you'll love this, she called a friend down from Las Vegas to provide moral support. She claims he's her sister's fiancé. I don't buy it."
Julia took off her glasses and pushed her brown braid back over her shoulder. "Why not?"
"Well, first off, there's no sign of the sister. Who calls down their sister's fiancé without calling in her sister? And secondly - he's a forensic scientist with their police department."
Julia raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Her own expert to claim we screwed up the evidence?"
"Possible, though he didn't ask me about the evidence. He wasn't going to let me into her house, though."
"It wasn't his house, Gayle."
"Yes, but he should know better - he works with the cops!"
Julia sighed. "And you're investigating a friend of his."
"Anyway, you know people in Las Vegas, right?"
"I know one of their coroners, David Robbins. Let me guess, you want me to verify this guy is telling the truth?"
"If you wouldn't mind. I'll check through the personnel department up there, but I just want to make sure he's legit and all."
"I'll need a name, you know."
"Gil Grissom."
Gayle was already out the door, so she didn't see the look of shock that crossed Julia's face.
* * * * *
The school arranged for Natalie to have a different classroom, in light of the fact that hers was likely to remain a crime scene for a while. With school starting soon, Natalie wanted to get ready. Luckily, she didn't have anything she really needed in the old room.
"I wouldn't want to go in there anyway," she told Gil as she stapled paper to a bulletin board. He was sitting at one of the student desks, writing student names onto slips of paper. Natalie was planning to post the names on the board to welcome her students when the new year began. He looked up at Natalie's muffled laugh and saw her grinning.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, but that desk is…well…its like Gulliver in a Lilliputian school."
Gil looked down at the desk. Granted, the desk was a little small for his 5'11" frame, but Natalie's desk was covered with her school supplies. He scowled at her. "You asked me to help you decorate your classroom, and now you make fun of me?"
She hastily assumed a serious expression. "No, of course I wouldn't."
"Liar."
She stuck her tongue out at him and went back to her decorating. He continued to write names.
"You ever help Dawn with this?" she asked casually.
He paused in writing Marissa Raven and looked up. Natalie had her back to him. He shook his head as he replied. "Dawn didn't really have a classroom that was 'hers', the building was so crowded that the teachers were moving rooms along with the students."
"I don't know how she managed to teach in a public high school."
"I don't know how you manage to teach 28 seven and eight year olds every year."
"I love my job, Gil." She paused, then turned to him and smiled. "And so did Dawn."
"Exactly."
"And Gil loves his job with his bugs and bodies," a voice said from the doorway. Both Gil and Natalie turned to see a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes, in jeans, blouse, and black nylon jacket with the LAPD shield on it.
"Who are you?" Natalie asked suspiciously.
"I'm Dr. Julia Raven, I'm a forensic pathologist for the Los Angeles Police Department."
"Formerly Julia Grissom, my sister," Gil said quietly. Natalie turned to look at him in shock, then back at Julia, seeing the resemblance in the eyes, the chin. They were even looking at each other with the same identical expressions of curiosity. Natalie found it odd that there was no warmth between them. Then again, she'd known Gil for eight years and never known he had a sister.
"Hello, Gil. Quite a shock to see you shacking up with a murder suspect."
His eyes narrowed. "If that's your attitude, then we have nothing to say to each other, Julia. I'd appreciate it if you would leave."
Julia smiled slightly. "I'm here on official business."
"Since when do coroners interrogate suspects?"
"Since when do crime scene investigators decorate classrooms?"
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Julia," he said quietly. Natalie noticed his right hand adjusting the watch that had been a gift from Dawn that last Christmas.
"I wanted to ask Ms. Jensen if she knew about Mr. Carlyle's drug habits."
"Drug habits? Josh wasn't a user. He couldn't be."
"You sound so sure, Ms. Jensen."
Natalie frowned at Julia. "Our teaching contracts with the school give the Board permission to do random drug testing, even when school is not in session. They ran a test last month on some of us."
"I take it you were included in that last group?" Julia asked.
"Yes, and the one before it," she said with a shrug. "When they say random, they mean it. You could go a year without testing, or they could test you every two weeks for six months. If they find anything, you're gone. They dismissed someone from the high school last year for failing the test. The Board of Trustees is very strict."
"How do you find out about these tests?"
"Usually, I get a phone call about an hour before I have to be at the lab they use. If school is in session, they often grab us in the lounge and hand us a cup."
"And here I thought Las Vegas was bad in their testing," Gil quipped.
Natalie smiled at him. "They're really just looking out for the kids, Gil. Drugged out teachers can and have done a lot of damage to students. And, yes," she said to cut off Julia, "they are saving their own asses as well. A drugged out teacher can equal major lawsuit and the state education board shutting us down."
"So, what your telling me is that the school would have dismissed Mr. Carlyle if a drug test turned up positive."
"Yes."
"Which is interesting, because I found the remnants of heroin in his system, along with a needle mark on his body."
Natalie stared at Julia.
"Have you ever used a syringe, Ms. Jensen?"
Gil stepped forward, but Natalie held up a hand. "Yes, I have. My sister Dawn was on medication for the last few months of her life, medication that had to be administered by injection. I often gave her the injections."
"Anyone who can confirm that?"
"I can," Gil said.
"Oh yes, Detective Martin mentioned that you claimed to be the sister's fiancé."
Gil clenched his fists at Julia's mocking tone. Natalie narrowed her eyes.
"Gil was engaged to marry my sister, Doctor Raven. If you don't believe us, talk to Dr. Wagner at Desert Palm Hospital in Las Vegas."
"Or Father McGrath at St. Cecelia's Church in Las Vegas. He was going to marry us."
"You were going to get married in the Church?"
"Dawn wanted it."
"She was Catholic?"
"I don't think prying into Gil's personal life is a vital part of your investigation, Dr. Raven," Natalie said with blatant hostility. "But for your information, my sister and I were raised Methodist. Dawn wanted to get married in the Catholic Church because Gil was Catholic. Now, if you would excuse us, I have to finish getting my room ready for classes next week." She turned her back on Julia and began stapling a border to the bulletin board.
Julia looked at Gil, who was smiling slightly as he watched Natalie. He looked back at Julia, the smile disappearing. "I think you've got enough information to give to Detective Martin, Dr. Raven." He sat back down at the desk and continued to write, ignoring his sister's presence. Julia looked at him, her face softening like she wanted to say something. But he never looked up, and she finally shrugged.
"We'll be in touch," she said before she left.
Rated: R - adult themes, etc.
Spoilers: none to the series
Synopsis: Gil gets a call from an old friend that causes him to confront someone from his past.
Disclaimer: I own all original characters in the story. Gil and the CSI crew are the property of Anthony Zuiker, Alliance Atlantis, other companies, and the actors who bring them to life.
Feedback is welcome and appreciated.
-------------------------------------------------
The phone ringing in the middle of the night wasn't unusual. When he'd gone to bed, he'd made sure both his regular phone and cell phone were nearby.
"Hello?"
"Gil? It's Natalie."
"Natalie?" He sat up in bed, running his fingers through his hair. He hadn't heard from Natalie in over a year. "What's up?"
"I need your help, Gil. I'm kind of in a jam here."
"A jam? What kind of jam? Something happen at the school?" Natalie taught second grade in a Los Angeles private school.
"There's been a murder at the school. The body was found in my classroom. They haven't arrested anyone yet, but you know I'm going to be a suspect." She paused, and when she spoke again he could hear the tremor in her voice. "Gil, I'm so scared. I know the person who was found."
Gil was already getting dressed from the time Natalie had mentioned a murder. "I can be in LA in five hours, Nat. Just remember - don't talk to the police until they talk to you. Don't volunteer anything. Got a pen? Good," Gil gave her his cell phone number. "Call me if anything happens, okay?"
"Okay. Thanks so much, Gil. I hate to impose but I just didn't know who else to call."
"Natalie," he said to the woman who should have been his sister by marriage, "you know I'll always help you. No matter what."
* * * * *
Grissom was two miles from the state line when he realized that he hadn't called Catherine. He stopped at a gas station to fill up and dialed her cell phone.
"Catherine Willows."
"Cath, it's Grissom. Look, I'm taking some personal time for the next week. Can you run the unit?"
She was silent for a moment. "When did this come up?"
"A few hours ago. I know it's sudden but it's important. It's personal," he reiterated.
She sighed. "Okay, but you are going to owe me when you get back."
"I know. Thanks, Catherine."
* * * * *
Natalie opened the door before Gil had the chance to knock. Her face, normally so open and carefree, was lined with worry. She was in jeans and a sweatshirt, her reddish hair disheveled.
"Oh God, Gil," she said as she stepped back to let him in. "This is all so freaky."
He shut the door behind him. "Just tell me what happened, Nat. It'll be okay."
She turned and walked into her living room, and he followed. "One of the other teachers went into the school yesterday to decorate her classroom for the new semester. She noticed the door to my room was open, looked in, and found the body. The police said it was Josh Carlyle. He's another teacher - 8th grade."
"The police have talked to you?"
"They came by the other night. Wanted to know where I was the other day. I told them I spent the day at home - I was painting one of the upstairs bedrooms. They asked to see the room, and I showed them."
"What else did they ask?" He watched Natalie as she paced around the living room, her bare feet silent on the wood floor. He stood in the doorway, his hands in his pockets. He felt a little odd - listening to someone talk about being questioned. Especially Natalie.
"If I got along with Josh, etc. He was a good teacher. He would ask me out at least twice a semester. But I kept telling him his wife would object."
"He was married?"
"Yeah. Look, Gil, I didn't kill him."
"I know."
Natalie stopped in her pacing and stared at him, stunned by his calm statement. She sank down onto her couch. He came over and sat down next to her. "Look, Nat, I know this is overwhelming. But the police will find who did this."
"Or rather the crime scene guys will?" she asked with the first smile he'd seen since he'd arrived.
He smiled at her smile. "Yeah, they will."
Natalie's smile faded and she looked like she was about to cry. "Gil, the body was found in my classroom!" Her voice rose. "My fingerprints, my hairs - everything! I listened to the conversations between you and Dawn!"
Gil reached out to touch Natalie's hand. "The killer will have left something of himself behind as well, Natalie. Something that shouldn't be in your classroom. The lab boys will find it."
"I wish I had your faith in science, Gil," she said bitterly.
He sighed, understanding the tone. "I wish I had your faith in people."
* * * * *
Julia Raven looked across the body at Detective Martin. "Blunt force trauma to the cranium. Probably a baseball bat, I'd say aluminum since I didn't find any splinters in the wound."
"Anything else?"
"No sign of sexual activity. No ligatures, but his arms were nearly removed from their sockets. Given his size and weight, I'd say your killer dragged him by his arms to where you found the body. There is some discoloration on the wrists, here, that could be a bruise from the killer's fingers. Couldn't get any fingerprints off the skin, though."
"Think someone 5'6 and 155 pounds could drag him?"
Julia tilted her head to one side. "Maybe, but he's got about 5 inches and 70 pounds on them. The person who dragged him would be pretty sore, probably have shoulder problems. What about your suspect?"
"She claims she was painting her guest bedroom the day he was killed. Showed us the room, too. Nice touch, huh?"
"Might explain any shoulder problems. Then again, she could be telling the truth," Julia cautioned the detective. Gayle smiled.
"Well, let me know if you find anything else."
Julia watched Gayle walk out of the room and sighed. The other woman had a well-deserved reputation for tenacity. Julia almost felt sorry for the suspect if she was innocent.
* * * * *
Natalie was still asleep when Gil got up the next morning. He started the coffee maker and sat at her kitchen table. The last time he'd been in Natalie's house, he and Dawn had been on a visit shortly after they'd become engaged. That was three years ago, and he'd practically been a different person. Natalie had come down for breakfast to find Dawn on his lap, their breakfast turning cold. Natalie had made a remark about public displays of affection, and they'd broken off the kiss.
Gil filled his coffee mug. He still woke up at night from dreams about Dawn. His house was too empty now without her around. He missed waking up in the afternoons to hear her quiet footsteps when she got home from school. Like Natalie, Dawn had been a teacher, and she had loved her job they way he loved his.
The ringing of the doorbell brought him out of his memories. He frowned, moving from the kitchen to the front hall. He didn't want the visitor to wake Natalie up. He had a feeling she hadn't slept since the police had questioned her. He wished she had called him right after that, rather than waiting a day.
He peered through the peephole. An unfamiliar woman stood on the doorstep. He disengaged Natalie's alarm system and opened the door.
"May I help you?"
The woman looked at him in surprise. "Who are you?"
"I think that's my question," he said mildly, not moving from the door.
"I'm Detective Martin, LAPD," she said, holding up her shield. Gil glanced at it.
"What can I do for you, Detective?"
"I'm looking for Natalie Jensen."
"May I ask why?"
Detective Martin glared at him. "Its in regard to an ongoing investigation into a homicide that occurred at Ms. Jensen's school. Who are you, anyway?"
"Gil Grissom. I'm a friend of Natalie's."
"Mr. Grissom, you are interfering in a police investigation by not allowing me to speak to Ms. Jensen."
Gil raised an eyebrow. "Detective, you haven't asked to speak to Natalie."
She glared at him again, but couldn't argue with him. "Well, then, may I speak with Ms. Jensen, Mr. Grissom?" Her voice was clipped.
"Certainly. Let me get her for you," Gil said before closing the door, leaving Detective Martin on the step. Normally, he wouldn't have been so rude, but the woman's attitude was bothering him. He turned to find Natalie standing on the steps, her hand over her mouth and laughter sparkling in her green eyes.
"You're terrible, Gil," she said as she came down the steps and opened the door. "Detective Martin, come in. Forgive my friend, he just got in last night and is a little grouchy before his first cup of coffee."
Detective Martin walked past Gil into the living room, Natalie following. Gil closed the door and followed them to lean against the wall.
"So, Ms. Jensen, how are your shoulders?"
Natalie frowned. "My shoulders are fine."
"Are you sure? You were painting the other day," Detective Martin said, her voice indicating her disbelief.
"Yes, I was. But I've been re-painting my house for the past month. Look, if you don't believe me, check down at the Home Depot. Melvin in Paints knows me by name."
Detective Martin wrote this down, but she didn't look convinced. "So, Mr. Grissom," she asked. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm a forensic scientist with the Las Vegas Police Department."
That got the detective's attention. "Really? Convenient for you to be in Los Angeles at this point."
"No, Natalie called me and asked me to come down here to act as moral support."
"And do you always provide 'moral support' to your friends in other cities, Mr. Grissom?"
"When that friend also happens to be the sister of my fiancée, yes, I do."
* * * * *
Gayle Martin found Julia Raven in her office, typing up her report on the computer.
"You get anything else on that dead teacher?"
"Yep. Toxicology report shows traces of morphine - the chemical breakdown of heroin. Looks like he'd been doing heroin at some point before his death. I went back and found a needle mark in between his toes. Hard to tell if it was voluntary or not, though."
"Oh come on, Dr. Raven. Not voluntary?"
Julia shrugged. "I only found one needle mark on his entire body. One. He hadn't been snorting anything up his nose, either. So, either it was his first time or someone else injected him."
"How many people would you let near your feet with a needle?"
"I wouldn't let my husband near my feet with a needle. But that's not the point. He didn't have to know they were going to inject them. He just had to be comfortable enough to be barefoot around them. Probably something like wife, lover, etc."
"His wife claims she was shopping when she was killed. No credit card activity that day. And the teacher was painting her house."
"Was the teacher his lover?"
"She says no. Oh, and you'll love this, she called a friend down from Las Vegas to provide moral support. She claims he's her sister's fiancé. I don't buy it."
Julia took off her glasses and pushed her brown braid back over her shoulder. "Why not?"
"Well, first off, there's no sign of the sister. Who calls down their sister's fiancé without calling in her sister? And secondly - he's a forensic scientist with their police department."
Julia raised an eyebrow. "Interesting. Her own expert to claim we screwed up the evidence?"
"Possible, though he didn't ask me about the evidence. He wasn't going to let me into her house, though."
"It wasn't his house, Gayle."
"Yes, but he should know better - he works with the cops!"
Julia sighed. "And you're investigating a friend of his."
"Anyway, you know people in Las Vegas, right?"
"I know one of their coroners, David Robbins. Let me guess, you want me to verify this guy is telling the truth?"
"If you wouldn't mind. I'll check through the personnel department up there, but I just want to make sure he's legit and all."
"I'll need a name, you know."
"Gil Grissom."
Gayle was already out the door, so she didn't see the look of shock that crossed Julia's face.
* * * * *
The school arranged for Natalie to have a different classroom, in light of the fact that hers was likely to remain a crime scene for a while. With school starting soon, Natalie wanted to get ready. Luckily, she didn't have anything she really needed in the old room.
"I wouldn't want to go in there anyway," she told Gil as she stapled paper to a bulletin board. He was sitting at one of the student desks, writing student names onto slips of paper. Natalie was planning to post the names on the board to welcome her students when the new year began. He looked up at Natalie's muffled laugh and saw her grinning.
"What?" he asked.
"I'm sorry, but that desk is…well…its like Gulliver in a Lilliputian school."
Gil looked down at the desk. Granted, the desk was a little small for his 5'11" frame, but Natalie's desk was covered with her school supplies. He scowled at her. "You asked me to help you decorate your classroom, and now you make fun of me?"
She hastily assumed a serious expression. "No, of course I wouldn't."
"Liar."
She stuck her tongue out at him and went back to her decorating. He continued to write names.
"You ever help Dawn with this?" she asked casually.
He paused in writing Marissa Raven and looked up. Natalie had her back to him. He shook his head as he replied. "Dawn didn't really have a classroom that was 'hers', the building was so crowded that the teachers were moving rooms along with the students."
"I don't know how she managed to teach in a public high school."
"I don't know how you manage to teach 28 seven and eight year olds every year."
"I love my job, Gil." She paused, then turned to him and smiled. "And so did Dawn."
"Exactly."
"And Gil loves his job with his bugs and bodies," a voice said from the doorway. Both Gil and Natalie turned to see a woman with long brown hair and blue eyes, in jeans, blouse, and black nylon jacket with the LAPD shield on it.
"Who are you?" Natalie asked suspiciously.
"I'm Dr. Julia Raven, I'm a forensic pathologist for the Los Angeles Police Department."
"Formerly Julia Grissom, my sister," Gil said quietly. Natalie turned to look at him in shock, then back at Julia, seeing the resemblance in the eyes, the chin. They were even looking at each other with the same identical expressions of curiosity. Natalie found it odd that there was no warmth between them. Then again, she'd known Gil for eight years and never known he had a sister.
"Hello, Gil. Quite a shock to see you shacking up with a murder suspect."
His eyes narrowed. "If that's your attitude, then we have nothing to say to each other, Julia. I'd appreciate it if you would leave."
Julia smiled slightly. "I'm here on official business."
"Since when do coroners interrogate suspects?"
"Since when do crime scene investigators decorate classrooms?"
"There's a lot you don't know about me, Julia," he said quietly. Natalie noticed his right hand adjusting the watch that had been a gift from Dawn that last Christmas.
"I wanted to ask Ms. Jensen if she knew about Mr. Carlyle's drug habits."
"Drug habits? Josh wasn't a user. He couldn't be."
"You sound so sure, Ms. Jensen."
Natalie frowned at Julia. "Our teaching contracts with the school give the Board permission to do random drug testing, even when school is not in session. They ran a test last month on some of us."
"I take it you were included in that last group?" Julia asked.
"Yes, and the one before it," she said with a shrug. "When they say random, they mean it. You could go a year without testing, or they could test you every two weeks for six months. If they find anything, you're gone. They dismissed someone from the high school last year for failing the test. The Board of Trustees is very strict."
"How do you find out about these tests?"
"Usually, I get a phone call about an hour before I have to be at the lab they use. If school is in session, they often grab us in the lounge and hand us a cup."
"And here I thought Las Vegas was bad in their testing," Gil quipped.
Natalie smiled at him. "They're really just looking out for the kids, Gil. Drugged out teachers can and have done a lot of damage to students. And, yes," she said to cut off Julia, "they are saving their own asses as well. A drugged out teacher can equal major lawsuit and the state education board shutting us down."
"So, what your telling me is that the school would have dismissed Mr. Carlyle if a drug test turned up positive."
"Yes."
"Which is interesting, because I found the remnants of heroin in his system, along with a needle mark on his body."
Natalie stared at Julia.
"Have you ever used a syringe, Ms. Jensen?"
Gil stepped forward, but Natalie held up a hand. "Yes, I have. My sister Dawn was on medication for the last few months of her life, medication that had to be administered by injection. I often gave her the injections."
"Anyone who can confirm that?"
"I can," Gil said.
"Oh yes, Detective Martin mentioned that you claimed to be the sister's fiancé."
Gil clenched his fists at Julia's mocking tone. Natalie narrowed her eyes.
"Gil was engaged to marry my sister, Doctor Raven. If you don't believe us, talk to Dr. Wagner at Desert Palm Hospital in Las Vegas."
"Or Father McGrath at St. Cecelia's Church in Las Vegas. He was going to marry us."
"You were going to get married in the Church?"
"Dawn wanted it."
"She was Catholic?"
"I don't think prying into Gil's personal life is a vital part of your investigation, Dr. Raven," Natalie said with blatant hostility. "But for your information, my sister and I were raised Methodist. Dawn wanted to get married in the Catholic Church because Gil was Catholic. Now, if you would excuse us, I have to finish getting my room ready for classes next week." She turned her back on Julia and began stapling a border to the bulletin board.
Julia looked at Gil, who was smiling slightly as he watched Natalie. He looked back at Julia, the smile disappearing. "I think you've got enough information to give to Detective Martin, Dr. Raven." He sat back down at the desk and continued to write, ignoring his sister's presence. Julia looked at him, her face softening like she wanted to say something. But he never looked up, and she finally shrugged.
"We'll be in touch," she said before she left.
