Continued from Chapter Three.
CHAPTER FOUR NOTES: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Real life and site work interfered. Grissom and Sara could use the sleep, so consider it a gift to them. I promise to be a bit more productive now.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Sara woke up to the late morning sun in her face, its intensity barely hindered by the partially opened blinds. She blinked slowly in confusion. She didn't have mini-blinds in her bedroom. The events of the previous evening came trickling back into her mind. She rolled her head away from the light and toward the back of the couch. It wasn't until her cheek made contact with skin that her eyes popped open. Grissom was still behind her on the couch; apparently she had spent the night using his chest for a pillow. She was now staring at the arm draped along her side. While it wasn't an unpleasant way to wake up, it was an atypical one. She wondered what the best way to extricate herself would be. Before making a move she rested there for a moment, enjoying his warmth and the sound of his heartbeat. She was grateful to him for what he had said and his faith in her; she only hoped that whatever happened over the next several days didn't do anything to compromise that trust.
She opened one eye and checked the time on Grissom's watch; it was almost eleven. They had been asleep almost seven hours. She wasn't sure what was usual for Grissom, but she rarely slept for more than four. Either she was overtaxed from the day before or Grissom was an insomnia cure personified. She gently slid out from under his arm and stood. His eyes remained closed. She observed him for a moment and smiled, then walked to the kitchen to start some coffee. As she became more awake she was more aware of the headache already starting. Sleep had given her a respite from her problems, but it hadn't solved them. She worked silently at the counter, lost in thought. She had just turned the coffeemaker on when she heard movement behind her.
"Good morning." Grissom said, now sitting upright. He rubbed his eyes before reaching for the pair of glasses that had fallen to the floor.
"Morning." Sara turned and gave him a light smile. He gave her a tentative one in return, his eyes still heavy from sleep.
"How are you feeling?"
She considered this for a moment. "Better. I was in a really bad state last night. I think I still am; it just hasn't hit me again like that yet."
Grissom nodded. "That was a lot to absorb."
"I'm embarassed. I can't remember a time when I was that out of it."
"Don't be. You get dragged on the carpet, accused of a federal crime, suspended from your job, and your best friend acts as though he doesn't believe in you. I'd be more concerned if you didn't lose it."
Sara looked at him, his face inscrutable. She was surprised that he had called himself her best friend. She considered that to be true, but she wouldn't dare to think he saw himself in that role. She also heard a veiled apology in his words. She filed away his near-approval of her emotional outburst for later; there was too much cycling through her head right now.
She changed the subject. "You want some coffee? It's just going to be a few minutes."
"That sounds good, thanks." They stared at each other a few moments until Sara broke eye contact. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to grab something from the other room."
"Okay." Grissom watched her as she walked toward the hallway that led to the rest of the apartment. He surveyed the area he could see from his vantage point on the couch. It was a fairly small space. Her furniture was minimal, but the walls were lined with books, computer equipment, and a fairly high end entertainment system. The first two things didn't surprise him, the latter did. He also noticed the near lack of photos or knick-knacks. There was one picture; he assumed the couple in it was her parents. His eyes had just moved to the clutter covering her table and counter when his phone rang.
"Grissom."
"Gil. This is Conrad."
Grissom rested his forehead in his other hand for a moment. "Yes, Ecklie?"
"Are you at home?"
"Yes." Grissom lied.
"Well, sorry to infringe on your off time, but we'll need you to come in early. I just talked to the DA on the Hendrich case and we're going to have Sidle's inquiry hearing today."
Grissom took a deep breath. "Did anyone happen to mention this to Sara?" He asked, putting the emphasis on her first name.
"I figured you could tell her."
"Damn it, Conrad, don't lay this on me!"
"Save it. You know she'd rather hear it from you. Have her meet us in meeting room C at four. We'll have an escort meet her at the door to allow her entrance."
Grissom punched the end button on his phone, his own tension overriding his sense of etiquette.
Sara took that moment to come back into the living room, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and in fresh clothes. "Who was that?"
"Ecklie."
She scrunched her nose in disgust, but her expression was apprehensive."And?"
"They're holding the inquiry this afternoon. Four o' clock at the department."
Sara walked toward the kitchen, returning her attention to the coffee. "That's fine. They'll ask me some questions; I'll answer them. Put this to rest."
"Sara..." Her sudden lightness was disconcerting to him. He stood now. "This could be very serious."
She turned around. "Do you think I don't know that, Grissom?" Her voice was sharp. She lowered it as she added. "I'm sorry, I know. I'm just at a loss, here. This isn't fair. How am I supposed to be able to defend myself when I can't even get this straight in *my* head. This is moving way too fast."
Grissom took a few steps toward her. "I know. We'll figure something out. You'll have a court appointed advocate there and I'll help you." He checked his watch. "We have four hours until the hearing. I'm going to go home, get changed, and then I'll call you. We can go over everything we know and hopefully come up with something that will keep Mobley and the DA off your back."
Sara flashed him a grateful smile. "I'm going to go over a timeline of that night. See if I can't get a handle on the data from the login records. "I'm at a loss about the videotape, though. They can't have film of me doing something I wasn't. It's impossible."
"Not impossible. Implausible."
Sara quirked her lips."There's evidence, Grissom." She said, raising an eyebrow in mock incredulity. He was happy to see some spark back in her eyes.
"I don't doubt the evidence; I doubt the humans involved. You're just not one of them."
Sara hid a grin and walked with him toward the door. They stopped in the small foyer. Meeting his eyes she turned serious. "Thanks again."
Grissom half-smiled. "Thanks for the lodging."
Sara laughed softly and then surprised herself by wrapping her arms around his waist in a quick hug. She felt his lips press against her hair. After a moment she withdrew and took a step back. "I'll talk to you in a bit, then."
He nodded and exited through the door behind him. Things were changing between him and Sara. He just wondered why it was happening now.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Grissom arrived for the inquiry thirty minutes early. Entering the hearing room he was surprised to see Sara already seated at the table. He had just hung up the phone after their conversation an hour ago. They had spoken for nearly 90 minutes and were no closer to a theory on the videotape. He had a feeling, however, that if they could explain that the computer and witness evidence would fall apart quickly.
Sara was seated next to a middle-aged woman; he assumed that was the advocate that they had orovided for the hearing. He recognized a few of the others; an older man seated across from Sara was the district attorney. Grissom couldn't help but think that was a bad sign. He wasn't required to be there. Ecklie and Mobley were standing against the wall opposite of Sara; he wondered if that was telling. He took a seat diagonally from her and took in her appearance. Her eyes were focused on the legal pad in front of her, but she looked calm. He could only imagine what she was feeling if he were this tense, but she was holding it in well. Her hair was up and she had applied slightly more makeup than he was used to seeing her in. She wore a cream colored jacket over a silk blouse. She looked older and more polished; it was quite a difference from the woman he had left in a ponytail, jeans, and a sweatshirt only hours ago.
She caught his gaze and smiled. He wondered if he should give her any last minute words of support, but the opening door caught their attention. Two men in dark suits entered and found chairs at the end of the table. Mobley took his cue to speak.
"These are Agents Edison and Wilcox from the Vegas Bureau. They'll be conducting the inquiry. For the record this is an investigation into the actions of Sara Sidle, a criminalist with the LVPD, and her activities during the shift beginning on February 27th of this year. This hearing is to determine whether criminal or further disciplinary action will be taken."
Grissom looked at Sara again. Her facial expression hadn't changed, but her eyes relayed her fear.
Mobley identified everyone in the room for the agents. Each person was also handed a copy of the evidence summary and the witness statement. For several moments the only noise in the room was the sound of shuffling papers. Grissom watched as Sara simply slipped her copies under the pad. He knew she had those pages memorized already; looking at them now would probably only add to her stress.
Agent Jared Edison stood and began to speak. He was the younger of the two agents; his blond hair and soft features made him seem less intimidating than the burlier Agent Wilcox. He immediately directed his attention to Sara, who was listening to the woman next to her as she spoke into her left ear.
"Ms. Sidle," he began, smiling at her. She gave him a nervous one in return. "For the interests of all concerned, I'm going to make this brief. Do you have a fairly clear recollection of the night in question?"
"Yes, fairly clear." Her voice didn't reveal the tension that her face held.
"Do you recall running two lab tests on DNA samples collected in the Hendrich case?"
"Yes."
"What were the results?"
Sara recited the technical details of the findings with the trained detachment of an investigator. Grissom had an odd sense of pride that she could remember every detail of the results under such intense pressure.
"So you ran the second collected sample and linked the results to Hendrich."
"Yes."
There was a pause. "Did you remove evidence from the secured location in order to falsely implicate Stephen Hendrich?"
Sara didn't flinch. "No."
Edison moved to a television in the corner of the room, slipping a tape into the VCR at its base. Without speaking he pressed play. Grissom had seen the tape several times. He chose to watch Sara as she saw it for her first. As she stared at the screen Grissom could only describe her look as morbid fascination as she watched herself do exactly what she had been accused of. Going to the evidence locker wasn't a crime, but she had already testified to the fact that she had not entered the room that day. No logs were signed. If she had gone in there she had gone covertly. Her eyes didn't leave the screen as her advocate spoke quickly into her ear. Sara didn't seem to register her words.
Edison pressed the stop button. "Was that you, Ms. Sidle?"
"Yes."
"Can you explain why you were there?"
"I wasn't." Sara's voice shook slightly now.
"Can you explain why there is videotape evidence, computer records, and an eyewitness account that all seem to tell a different story?"
"No."
"Can you offer us something that tells us that you didn't plant the sample?"
"Not without more time." Sara looked agitated now; her formerly cool facade was crumbling with each question.
The two agents and the district attorney met near the door and conferred with Mobley and two uniformed officers. Unable to ascertain what was going on, Grissom sought out Sara's gaze. She looked nauseous. He reached under the table with his foot and pressed the toe of his shoe to hers. Her face didn't change, but her shoulders relaxed slightly.
The next several minutes passed in a blur. He watched as the two officers approached Sara and as one placed a rectangular packet in front of the woman next to her Grissom knew what was coming. He sat, stunned, as one of the officers brought it home. "Sara Sidle, you're under arrest for evidence tampering in the homicide case of Stephen A. Hendrich..."
Grissom didn't hear the rest as he was already on his feet and halfway to Mobley, who was now standing near the door. "You son of a bitch! You knew this was coming...You knew this was coming and you let her hang herself!"
Mobley barely reacted. "Calm down, Grissom. She had a chance. She couldn't explain herself. This is protocol."
"Protocol," Grissom shouted, "would be giving her more than 24 hours to build a case for herself!"
He turned as he saw Sara being led from the room. She presented an eerie calm; if it weren't for the officer escorting her and the flexi-cuffs around her wrists he'd be surprised that she had just been arrested. He called after her. "Sara, we'll fix this. Get an..."
"Grissom, you can talk to her later. She's undoubtedly be released on ROR and you'll have plenty of time before the trial to work this out." Mobley's even tone served only to make Grissom more angry. He pushed past the sheriff and toward the door. Before leaving, he turned back to Mobley and Ecklie, who had just joined him.
"At the very least you've just ruined her career. An arrest means automatic termination. You knew that coming into this hearing."
"She ruined her own career, Gil. Watch your step or you'll have your own problems. Don't be a hero on this."
Grissom slammed the door on his way out. They had just been ambushed and for the first time in his life he hated his profession.
TBC
CHAPTER FOUR NOTES: Sorry for the delay on this chapter. Real life and site work interfered. Grissom and Sara could use the sleep, so consider it a gift to them. I promise to be a bit more productive now.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Sara woke up to the late morning sun in her face, its intensity barely hindered by the partially opened blinds. She blinked slowly in confusion. She didn't have mini-blinds in her bedroom. The events of the previous evening came trickling back into her mind. She rolled her head away from the light and toward the back of the couch. It wasn't until her cheek made contact with skin that her eyes popped open. Grissom was still behind her on the couch; apparently she had spent the night using his chest for a pillow. She was now staring at the arm draped along her side. While it wasn't an unpleasant way to wake up, it was an atypical one. She wondered what the best way to extricate herself would be. Before making a move she rested there for a moment, enjoying his warmth and the sound of his heartbeat. She was grateful to him for what he had said and his faith in her; she only hoped that whatever happened over the next several days didn't do anything to compromise that trust.
She opened one eye and checked the time on Grissom's watch; it was almost eleven. They had been asleep almost seven hours. She wasn't sure what was usual for Grissom, but she rarely slept for more than four. Either she was overtaxed from the day before or Grissom was an insomnia cure personified. She gently slid out from under his arm and stood. His eyes remained closed. She observed him for a moment and smiled, then walked to the kitchen to start some coffee. As she became more awake she was more aware of the headache already starting. Sleep had given her a respite from her problems, but it hadn't solved them. She worked silently at the counter, lost in thought. She had just turned the coffeemaker on when she heard movement behind her.
"Good morning." Grissom said, now sitting upright. He rubbed his eyes before reaching for the pair of glasses that had fallen to the floor.
"Morning." Sara turned and gave him a light smile. He gave her a tentative one in return, his eyes still heavy from sleep.
"How are you feeling?"
She considered this for a moment. "Better. I was in a really bad state last night. I think I still am; it just hasn't hit me again like that yet."
Grissom nodded. "That was a lot to absorb."
"I'm embarassed. I can't remember a time when I was that out of it."
"Don't be. You get dragged on the carpet, accused of a federal crime, suspended from your job, and your best friend acts as though he doesn't believe in you. I'd be more concerned if you didn't lose it."
Sara looked at him, his face inscrutable. She was surprised that he had called himself her best friend. She considered that to be true, but she wouldn't dare to think he saw himself in that role. She also heard a veiled apology in his words. She filed away his near-approval of her emotional outburst for later; there was too much cycling through her head right now.
She changed the subject. "You want some coffee? It's just going to be a few minutes."
"That sounds good, thanks." They stared at each other a few moments until Sara broke eye contact. "I'll be right back. I'm just going to grab something from the other room."
"Okay." Grissom watched her as she walked toward the hallway that led to the rest of the apartment. He surveyed the area he could see from his vantage point on the couch. It was a fairly small space. Her furniture was minimal, but the walls were lined with books, computer equipment, and a fairly high end entertainment system. The first two things didn't surprise him, the latter did. He also noticed the near lack of photos or knick-knacks. There was one picture; he assumed the couple in it was her parents. His eyes had just moved to the clutter covering her table and counter when his phone rang.
"Grissom."
"Gil. This is Conrad."
Grissom rested his forehead in his other hand for a moment. "Yes, Ecklie?"
"Are you at home?"
"Yes." Grissom lied.
"Well, sorry to infringe on your off time, but we'll need you to come in early. I just talked to the DA on the Hendrich case and we're going to have Sidle's inquiry hearing today."
Grissom took a deep breath. "Did anyone happen to mention this to Sara?" He asked, putting the emphasis on her first name.
"I figured you could tell her."
"Damn it, Conrad, don't lay this on me!"
"Save it. You know she'd rather hear it from you. Have her meet us in meeting room C at four. We'll have an escort meet her at the door to allow her entrance."
Grissom punched the end button on his phone, his own tension overriding his sense of etiquette.
Sara took that moment to come back into the living room, her hair pulled back into a ponytail and in fresh clothes. "Who was that?"
"Ecklie."
She scrunched her nose in disgust, but her expression was apprehensive."And?"
"They're holding the inquiry this afternoon. Four o' clock at the department."
Sara walked toward the kitchen, returning her attention to the coffee. "That's fine. They'll ask me some questions; I'll answer them. Put this to rest."
"Sara..." Her sudden lightness was disconcerting to him. He stood now. "This could be very serious."
She turned around. "Do you think I don't know that, Grissom?" Her voice was sharp. She lowered it as she added. "I'm sorry, I know. I'm just at a loss, here. This isn't fair. How am I supposed to be able to defend myself when I can't even get this straight in *my* head. This is moving way too fast."
Grissom took a few steps toward her. "I know. We'll figure something out. You'll have a court appointed advocate there and I'll help you." He checked his watch. "We have four hours until the hearing. I'm going to go home, get changed, and then I'll call you. We can go over everything we know and hopefully come up with something that will keep Mobley and the DA off your back."
Sara flashed him a grateful smile. "I'm going to go over a timeline of that night. See if I can't get a handle on the data from the login records. "I'm at a loss about the videotape, though. They can't have film of me doing something I wasn't. It's impossible."
"Not impossible. Implausible."
Sara quirked her lips."There's evidence, Grissom." She said, raising an eyebrow in mock incredulity. He was happy to see some spark back in her eyes.
"I don't doubt the evidence; I doubt the humans involved. You're just not one of them."
Sara hid a grin and walked with him toward the door. They stopped in the small foyer. Meeting his eyes she turned serious. "Thanks again."
Grissom half-smiled. "Thanks for the lodging."
Sara laughed softly and then surprised herself by wrapping her arms around his waist in a quick hug. She felt his lips press against her hair. After a moment she withdrew and took a step back. "I'll talk to you in a bit, then."
He nodded and exited through the door behind him. Things were changing between him and Sara. He just wondered why it was happening now.
~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*
Grissom arrived for the inquiry thirty minutes early. Entering the hearing room he was surprised to see Sara already seated at the table. He had just hung up the phone after their conversation an hour ago. They had spoken for nearly 90 minutes and were no closer to a theory on the videotape. He had a feeling, however, that if they could explain that the computer and witness evidence would fall apart quickly.
Sara was seated next to a middle-aged woman; he assumed that was the advocate that they had orovided for the hearing. He recognized a few of the others; an older man seated across from Sara was the district attorney. Grissom couldn't help but think that was a bad sign. He wasn't required to be there. Ecklie and Mobley were standing against the wall opposite of Sara; he wondered if that was telling. He took a seat diagonally from her and took in her appearance. Her eyes were focused on the legal pad in front of her, but she looked calm. He could only imagine what she was feeling if he were this tense, but she was holding it in well. Her hair was up and she had applied slightly more makeup than he was used to seeing her in. She wore a cream colored jacket over a silk blouse. She looked older and more polished; it was quite a difference from the woman he had left in a ponytail, jeans, and a sweatshirt only hours ago.
She caught his gaze and smiled. He wondered if he should give her any last minute words of support, but the opening door caught their attention. Two men in dark suits entered and found chairs at the end of the table. Mobley took his cue to speak.
"These are Agents Edison and Wilcox from the Vegas Bureau. They'll be conducting the inquiry. For the record this is an investigation into the actions of Sara Sidle, a criminalist with the LVPD, and her activities during the shift beginning on February 27th of this year. This hearing is to determine whether criminal or further disciplinary action will be taken."
Grissom looked at Sara again. Her facial expression hadn't changed, but her eyes relayed her fear.
Mobley identified everyone in the room for the agents. Each person was also handed a copy of the evidence summary and the witness statement. For several moments the only noise in the room was the sound of shuffling papers. Grissom watched as Sara simply slipped her copies under the pad. He knew she had those pages memorized already; looking at them now would probably only add to her stress.
Agent Jared Edison stood and began to speak. He was the younger of the two agents; his blond hair and soft features made him seem less intimidating than the burlier Agent Wilcox. He immediately directed his attention to Sara, who was listening to the woman next to her as she spoke into her left ear.
"Ms. Sidle," he began, smiling at her. She gave him a nervous one in return. "For the interests of all concerned, I'm going to make this brief. Do you have a fairly clear recollection of the night in question?"
"Yes, fairly clear." Her voice didn't reveal the tension that her face held.
"Do you recall running two lab tests on DNA samples collected in the Hendrich case?"
"Yes."
"What were the results?"
Sara recited the technical details of the findings with the trained detachment of an investigator. Grissom had an odd sense of pride that she could remember every detail of the results under such intense pressure.
"So you ran the second collected sample and linked the results to Hendrich."
"Yes."
There was a pause. "Did you remove evidence from the secured location in order to falsely implicate Stephen Hendrich?"
Sara didn't flinch. "No."
Edison moved to a television in the corner of the room, slipping a tape into the VCR at its base. Without speaking he pressed play. Grissom had seen the tape several times. He chose to watch Sara as she saw it for her first. As she stared at the screen Grissom could only describe her look as morbid fascination as she watched herself do exactly what she had been accused of. Going to the evidence locker wasn't a crime, but she had already testified to the fact that she had not entered the room that day. No logs were signed. If she had gone in there she had gone covertly. Her eyes didn't leave the screen as her advocate spoke quickly into her ear. Sara didn't seem to register her words.
Edison pressed the stop button. "Was that you, Ms. Sidle?"
"Yes."
"Can you explain why you were there?"
"I wasn't." Sara's voice shook slightly now.
"Can you explain why there is videotape evidence, computer records, and an eyewitness account that all seem to tell a different story?"
"No."
"Can you offer us something that tells us that you didn't plant the sample?"
"Not without more time." Sara looked agitated now; her formerly cool facade was crumbling with each question.
The two agents and the district attorney met near the door and conferred with Mobley and two uniformed officers. Unable to ascertain what was going on, Grissom sought out Sara's gaze. She looked nauseous. He reached under the table with his foot and pressed the toe of his shoe to hers. Her face didn't change, but her shoulders relaxed slightly.
The next several minutes passed in a blur. He watched as the two officers approached Sara and as one placed a rectangular packet in front of the woman next to her Grissom knew what was coming. He sat, stunned, as one of the officers brought it home. "Sara Sidle, you're under arrest for evidence tampering in the homicide case of Stephen A. Hendrich..."
Grissom didn't hear the rest as he was already on his feet and halfway to Mobley, who was now standing near the door. "You son of a bitch! You knew this was coming...You knew this was coming and you let her hang herself!"
Mobley barely reacted. "Calm down, Grissom. She had a chance. She couldn't explain herself. This is protocol."
"Protocol," Grissom shouted, "would be giving her more than 24 hours to build a case for herself!"
He turned as he saw Sara being led from the room. She presented an eerie calm; if it weren't for the officer escorting her and the flexi-cuffs around her wrists he'd be surprised that she had just been arrested. He called after her. "Sara, we'll fix this. Get an..."
"Grissom, you can talk to her later. She's undoubtedly be released on ROR and you'll have plenty of time before the trial to work this out." Mobley's even tone served only to make Grissom more angry. He pushed past the sheriff and toward the door. Before leaving, he turned back to Mobley and Ecklie, who had just joined him.
"At the very least you've just ruined her career. An arrest means automatic termination. You knew that coming into this hearing."
"She ruined her own career, Gil. Watch your step or you'll have your own problems. Don't be a hero on this."
Grissom slammed the door on his way out. They had just been ambushed and for the first time in his life he hated his profession.
TBC