The three CSIs stood on the porch, looking into the house through the open front door. Gerri was the first to step back inside and paused as she crossed the threshold.

"Take us through." Gil instructed as he and Sara waited to follow her into the house.

"She was expecting someone. She left the door unlocked, allowing our killer to enter easily." she moved behind the door and Sara and Grissom stepped inside. She lay a hand on the knob and pushed it shut. It went quietly on its hinges until it met the doorframe, where it creaked loudly. "He didn't close it all the way because it would alert her to his presence." Grissom watched her intently as she walked into the living room. "She is startled to see him, but she knows him and is not threatened by his presence."

"Until he grabs her, like this." Sara stepped towards Gerri, grabbing her and pulling Gerri towards her.

"She struggles, fights back. He's too strong for her, though." Gerri turned and looked up the stairs. "He takes her upstairs, where it can be private." she led the way up the stairs, and turned into the master bedroom where they had found the victim. "He subdues her and ties her to the bed."

"Rape?" asks Sara, looking at the bare bed, they had taken the body down to the lab already.

"Maybe. More likely not, since his first victim was a male." Grissom points out, moving to stand beside Gerri.

"he talks to her, prolongs the encounter. Tells her about Jeffrey." Gerri had closed her eyes, picturing the scene, putting herself in the room as an observer. "Then, he kills her. Slowly, the final cut is the one that kills her. Just like our other victim."

"yeah, but our other victim was found in the desert off of I-15. The killer had to transport him there, after he killed him." Sara looked at Gerri, "She was still here."

"We interrupted him, before he could leave with her body. He ran, leaving her here." she paused and looked up to Grissom, who was silent as he listened to her. "If he killed Christine here, it stands to say he killed Jeffrey in his house."

A confirming nod. "I have Warrick, Catherine, and Nick over there right now. We'll work the second body." he turned and walked out the door. "Which is back at the lab, where we should be."

*****

He knelt in the rear pew of the church, head bowed and lowered on his clasped hands. The dim light of the candle offerings flickered in the corner behind him, casting strange shadows on the church walls. The first rays of the sun gently illuminated the stained glass windows above him. He sat in silence for a few minutes, feeling the tears roll down his face. He lifted his face and opened his eyes to look towards the altar. A lone nun knelt in the front pew, counting rosary beads and saying the prayers that were so familiar to him. It brought the image of his mother when he was young whispering those same prayers. He swallowed and his lips cracked open, issuing forth whispered words.

"Forgive me Father, for what I am about to do." he crossed himself and rose from the pew, the fabric of his trench coat brushing against the wood. He slipped down the aisle and stood momentarily behind the nun. His breathing intensified as the she turned around to face him and screamed. The monster took hold and clamped a hand over the nun's mouth as he roughly pulled her to her feet. The rosary beads clattered to the floor as he took her to meet her God.

*****

Gerri sat in the locker room, studying the cracks on the concrete bench that sat between the rows of lockers. She had done her second autopsy for the night with Robbins, on her second dead body for the night. Now all she wanted to do was go home. Morning hadn't come soon enough for her, and her body wasn't used to staying up all night. A hot shower and her warm bed sounded wonderful at the moment. She stood and grabbed her jacket and purse from her locker. She closed the metal door and turned the dial on the combination lock. She felt slightly like a student in high school gym class as she left the locker room. She left the building and stepped out into the morning sunshine. Small puddles from the night's rain dotted the parking lot, reflecting the blue sky. She unlocked the Excursion and pulled herself into the driver's seat. As always, the powerful SUV started with a nice roar and she pulled out of her parking space. She didn't see Grissom as he stood just inside the front doors, watching her drive off.

A few minutes later, she pulled into the driveway of her obnoxiously huge home. It was a nice place to bring Jamie up, but it was much larger than either of them really needed. She couldn't balk at the cost, she had received it in the divorce from Craig. She came in through the garage and paused to let Daisy and Frank out of their crates. She walked into the kitchen with the two beagles trailing at her heels. She opened the back door for them and watched as they ran outside to do their business and their morning exploration. She added water and coffee to the coffee maker and sat on a stool by the breakfast bar, relishing the silence. She picked up the remote and turned on the small TV that she kept in the kitchen. An early morning news program came and she left it there, listening to the hosts' happy banter. The coffee maker dinged, signaling the coffee was ready and demanding Gerri's attention. She tossed the filter and grounds and then poured herself a mug of the rich brew. Something changed in the morning show hosts' voices causing her to look back to the TV. They were talking about a murder that had taken place last night. She began to put it off as the one at the Blake residence but stopped. A picture of a smiling nun was flashed on the screen. A nun, killed in a church, stabbed and slashed to death. She stared mutely at the TV, watching them remove the body from the church. She was killed in the sachistry, the on scene reporter said. Gerri tuned out the voice, focusing on someone familiar in the background, standing at the base of the front steps. Gerri cocked her head, looking at Grissom, studying him intently. The ringing of her phone scared her, causing her to spill her coffee. She picked up the portable in the kitchen.

"Hello?"

"Gerri? It's Gil. We've had another murder, it's the same MO as the last two." his voice was slightly staticky as it came through the earpiece on the phone.

"I know. I just saw it one the news."

"Can you come down here and give me a hand?" he asked, and Gerri briefly flirted with the idea of asking 'Why me?' but stifled the urge.

"Let me get Jamie up and dressed. Erin will be here in," she looked at her watch, "Ten minutes. Will twenty five work for you?"

"Fine. St. Patrick's Parish. I'll meet you inside." the connection was broken and Gerri cradled the handset. She shook her head and headed to the stairs. Her first night on the job was yet to be over.

*****