XXIV- BUILDING FOUNDATIONS
The soft brush of Alli's mouth against his own was startling, to say the least. Before Greg could respond, she pulled away and smiled at him shyly.
"What was that?" The words popped out of Greg's mouth without volition, and he blushed when Alli laughed.
"It was supposed to be a kiss, but I must be losing my touch if you had to ask."
"Why did you kiss me?"
Alli shrugged, "Why not? You're a nice guy, Greg. You're giving me a fantastic deal on a great apartment, thus saving Goliath from too many more nights in the garage, and - I just felt like it."
"Oh." Greg looked a little baffled, but he smiled at Alli. "I'm not complaining. I was just - surprised, that's all." His expression turned teasing, "Do you normally just jump any guy you feel like kissing?"
"Shut up!" Alli grabbed a throw pillow, and whacked Greg lightly.
Greg grinned, easily fending off the pillow with one arm, "'Cuz I have to tell you, this is Las Vegas - behavior like that can get you into trouble!"
"I didn't jump you!" Alli was laughing now, but a slight flush had crept up her cheeks.
"You're blushing!" Greg crowed, "that means you wanted to jump me!" He grabbed the throw pillow from her hand, tossing it over his shoulder and stilling her hands with his own. Alli stopped laughing when she caught the suddenly serious expression on Greg's face. They stared at each other silently for a moment, Greg's eyes plumbing her own, so serious and so - questioning - they almost made her heart stop. "You wanted to, right?" he whispered again.
Alli sighed, and leaned forward slightly, "You have eyes just like Bambi."
Greg grinned, "That's not an answer."
"Do you really need an answer?"
"Do you really need an apartment?"
Alli laughed, "Blackmail! I just - I wanted to kiss you. Are you happy?"
"I'll be happier if I know you want to do it again." Greg's smile was flirtatious, and his eyes glowed happily. "I really like you, Alli."
"I like you too, Greg. So - when can I move in?"
"Whenever you want. Shall we go grab something to eat - I have to be to work in 30 minutes. I think we'll have to do drive-thru."
"As long as it's not McDonald's, I don't care!" Alli agreed, smiling as Greg quickly stood and helped her to her feet. His fingers squeezed her hand firmly before twining with her own.
"I'm glad you came to Vegas."
Alli stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss the side of his face, "I'm glad too."
* * * * *
"Grissom, I need to talk to you," Warrick's mellow voice sounded unusually harsh. Grissom looked up, startled when he saw the younger man standing in his office doorway, arms crossed.
"Sure Warrick. What can I do for you?" Grissom indicated the empty seat across from his desk, and frowned slightly when Warrick stepped into his office and shout the door before sitting down. "Something wrong?"
"Since when do you have permission to intrude into my personal life?"
"What are you talking about?" Grissom was honestly surprised, but Warrick didn't relent.
"I'm talking about Katie. Don't you think she has enough on her plate dealing with her brother's death and witnessing a double-murder, without having to worry about causing me problems too?"
"She told you we spoke."
"Yeah, she told me you spoke. Don't you think you should have come to me with your concerns, Grissom?"
"I was planning to, today. We have a safe house for them, Warrick. They can go there tomorrow."
Warrick sat back in his chair, shoulders slumping in defeat, "So, that's it then."
Grissom watched his friend with concern. "She's really gotten to you, hasn't she Warrick? Both of them. You know it's the best thing for the case."
Warrick sighed, "I know. Nancy told me last night she thought Scotty sent me to look after them. I don't want them to have to leave. They've been through too much already, and I don't think Nancy will be able to adjust. She's just a kid, Grissom - she needs stability."
"How would it look to a defense attorney, Warrick? Even a half-assed one would be able to cast doubt on any evidence you collected at Lifestyles; regarding her brother's murder, if she stays with you. And what about justice for those two kids in the desert?"
"What if you pulled me off the case?" Warrick's voice was calm. "If I'm not on the case, they can't question the evidence, right?"
"What about the evidence you've already gathered? Besides which, we need you on this case. It's too big to pull you."
"What if we got an admission of guilt?"
"Warrick," Grissom's voice was firm, "why are you doing this?"
Warrick shrugged and remained silent, intently studying his hands before looking up at Grissom, his eyes pained. "I don't want them to leave."
"Is there more going on there than I'm aware of, Warrick?" Grissom sighed, and ran an agitated hand through his smoky curls. "Catherine told me she was 'feeling the vibes'," he grimaced when he said this, the words sounding foreign coming from him. "Was she right? I know you're emotionally involved - but is it more 'emotional' than it should be?"
Warrick shrugged, "Am I talking to my boss, or my friend?"
"Both."
"Okay. Listen - I don't know. There's something there, and I can't deny it. I feel like Nancy is my responsibility. I feel like it's my job to look after her and keep her safe - Nancy and Katie. I know what they're going through."
"How could you possibly know what they're going through?"
"Grissom, I think it's time I told you about Delia."
* * * * *
Sara and Nick were sitting in the lounge with Catherine, bouncing ideas and theories off each other, when Greg walked in with Alli carrying Wendy's bags.
"Greg, Alli," Nick smiled, "so - how did it go?"
Alli grinned, "Thank you so much for suggesting Greg rent to me! His apartment is amazing - you should see his bedroom!" She stopped suddenly, face flaring red as she realized what she had just said. Beside her, Greg was grinning, but his face was just as red.
"I mean - you should see what he's done with it - he's got glow in the dark stars all over the place and -"
"We know, we know. Saw it when we packed his clothes for him." Sara was smiling wickedly at Greg, enjoying the happy expression in his eyes. "So, based on your exuberance, I assume you're going to rent."
"I'd be a fool not to! I'll never find a better deal."
Greg indicated she should sit at the table, and quickly sat beside her himself, pulling his fries and grilled chicken from his bag. "We didn't have time to eat before she drove me to work, so I hope you guys don't mind if we chow down here."
"Keep your eyes on your fries, dude!" Nick grinned, snaking a hand out and grabbing a hot one.
Alli smiled when she heard the familiar footfall of Dr. Robbins coming down the hall. "There's Uncle Al - I suppose I should tell him. Excuse me for a minute." She popped up from her seat and headed out the doorway, calling after him. When she was gone, Sara, Nick and Catherine turned to Greg, expressions ranging from amused to avidly curious.
"She's cute!" Catherine opined. "And did she ever blush when she was talking about your bedroom." Her eyes flashed teasingly at Greg. "I'd say she definitely saw stars."
Sara giggled. "Literally. You look happy, Greggo. Are you happy?"
Greg shrugged, "Happy to rent my apartment? Yeah, I am. It's a load off, financially."
"Don't bug him, girls. He and Alli barely know each other - yet!" Nick winked at Greg, and Greg blushed. "Did you talk to Dr. Jansen?"
Greg blushed harder, and Nick laughed. "I see that you did. Cool man. How are things going?"
"Not bad. He seemed pretty happy - said I could maybe start field work in a few more weeks. I need to start going to physio, too."
"And everything else - all systems go, right?"
Greg looked at Nick, trying to glare at him without looking like he was glaring. Nick grinned cheekily, and Sara and Catherine started laughing.
"There's a whole subtext to this conversation I'm just not getting," Catherine said, "and I don't think I want to."
"Thank God for that!" Greg muttered under his breath.
* * * * *
Warrick and Grissom walked into the lounge together, both men strangely subdued. Alli had returned earlier, and she and Greg were just finishing their take-out dinner. Grissom smiled at her when she jumped to her feet, "Hi Mr. Grissom. I was just leaving!"
"Relax, Alli. At least finish your French fries. Al know you're here?"
"Yeah - I was talking to him earlier - needed to tell him about Greg's apartment," Alli grinned. "I think he's still in shock!"
Greg looked up at this, "In shock? Why?"
Alli grinned, "He's my uncle. He thinks he needs to protect me. When I told him I was moving into your place, he started getting all bristly, until I reminded him you're at Sara's and Nick's. He thought you were putting the moves on me."
"Little does he know!" Greg responded, before a mortified look crossed his face when everyone started laughing. "Shit. Did I just say that out loud? Note to self: turn sound on internal monolog OFF!"
Nick was grinning, "When are you moving in Alli?"
"As soon as you and Greg offer to help me move," she responded impishly. "I don't have much, so an hour or two of your time is all that's required. Greg's apartment is fully furnished, so I just need help carting my crap up."
"We can help tomorrow afternoon, before work, right guys?" Sara responded. "If that's all right."
They quickly made plans, and Alli walked to the door, feet light and a happy smile on her face. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Uncle Al. See you later. Bye, Greg."
"Later, Alli," Greg watched her leave, smiling softly when she looked through the lounge window and gave him a three-fingered wave. He waved back, before turning to see the amused expressions on his friends' faces.
"She's cute," Sara offered.
"She likes you." Catherine added.
Grissom cocked a brow at him, "She's Dr. Robbins favorite niece, so don't do anything rash - but I agree with Catherine."
Greg tried not to look too pleased at this remark, instead gathering together the garbage from their meal. "So, what's on the list tonight?"
* * * * *
Brass caught Grissom in the hallway 30 minutes later, deep in thought as he perused a stapled file in his hand.
"Grissom - yo! Stop a second." Brass blustered over to him, smiling when Grissom raised an eyebrow at him. "I got those warrants you wanted. We can head over anytime - barn, outlying areas, everything - including permission to dig."
Grissom smiled absently, "Good. Good. What about for the DNA from the women?"
"We can get it from them, but not any of the children. Judge wouldn't go for that. What're you reading?"
"It's the missing person's report filed over two years ago on Eric Shelton, the guy who told Scotty and Katie about the commune. I've got the case file - looks like we sent a guy out to talk to Enoch and some of the men, since that was his last known address. Officer Langdon? Yeah - Langdon. His notes are interesting. I've asked O'Reilly to find him and ask him to come talk to me. He should be here any minute. Let's see if he has anything to add before we head out to the commune."
Brass nodded in agreement, "Fine by me, Griss. Where is everyone else?"
"Warrick and Nick are hoping to get the rest of the window together from Magikal - says they're almost done. Cath, Sara and Greg are in the lab. Greg's running the DNA we got from the ladies we brought in yesterday, including the lovely lady Rebekah, and Sara and Catherine are sorting through the rest of the physical evidence and still running print comparisons."
"You got a match from the school room computer on the brochures right?"
Grissom nodded. "Found all the files. If only we could find out who wrote them. I know Enoch is behind this all - there has to be some way we can link him in."
Brass shook his head. "That man is sly. He's planted the seeds, for sure. But not one of the people we've got already have even indicated they were acting on instructions from him. He's like Manson."
Grissom smiled grimly. "But Manson's in jail."
* * * * *
"I'd only been on the job for three months, sir. I'd say it was a pretty typical interview. They seemed helpful enough." Officer Langdon shifted nervously in his seat, trying to remain calm. In reality, sitting across from Captain Brass and 'Gruesome' Grissom was pretty damned intimidating, even though Mr. Grissom had complimented him on his notes.
"You wrote here that Enoch Winters said Eric just decided to leave one day?" Grissom tapped the report thoughtfully, watching Langdon intensely, his gaze sharp.
"That's what he said. Gave no reason for it, either. Said no one knew why he decided to go, but they couldn't change his mind."
"Did you find his answers evasive? Any of the other people you spoke with - were they evasive?"
"No. They all said the same thing. He left. Said he was going to California."
"What did you think of them? Of the commune?" Brass questioned.
"They seemed a little hippy-dippy to me, sir. They had just finished building the barn, you know, and one of the men - I'm sorry, sir, I forget his name, but he was built like a moose and had military short hair - was pretty proud of that fact. He said Enoch was teaching them to be self- sufficient. The barn was going to be for their livestock, complete with slaughter house and a small tanning room."
Grissom looked interested at this. "Slaughter house? Tanning room?"
"Yes, sir. Can I see my report?" Grissom handed it to him, watching as the young man quickly flipped through the pages, searching the names. "This guy - called himself Brother Michael. Anyway, he gave me a tour. Said he was a butcher by trade, and Enoch had made sure he would have everything on hand for him - cows, chickens, pigs. The tannery was for Enoch himself - he was going to teach the men how to skin the animals and treat the hide - planned on curing their own leather, making their own clothes. You know - hippy stuff."
Grissom smiled at this. "Enoch was going to teach them? You're sure he said Enoch?"
"It's not in my notes, sir. Not being pertinent to the missing man and all, but yeah - he said Enoch." Langdon picked up on Grissom's barely suppressed excitement and smiled, "Am I helping at all?"
"Yes, Officer Langdon, you are. You said the barn had just been finished? Any other signs of fresh construction?"
"The icehouse had just been finished - couldn't go in, because they were just preparing the ice and the doors were sealed. The foundation for the smokehouse was ready to be poured that week. And a couple of those geo- homes they have out there now were just being finished."
Brass looked at Grissom and smiled sourly. "Fresh foundation for the smokehouse. Interesting. You mind coming with us when we go there this evening. I think we could use you."
Langdon grinned. "My pleasure, sir. As long as my chief doesn't mind, that is."
"Don't worry. I'll clear it with him." Brass turned to Grissom, "We might be able to nail the bastard after all."
* * * * *
"DNA match with one of the hairs," Greg sounded pleased with himself. "Rebekah Winters helped make the note from Lifestyles."
Sara looked up at Greg and smiled, "That'll make Grissom happy. I've managed to confirm a few more of the prints - all the men Katie places at the desert murders can be accounted for through fingerprint matches, and I can tie a couple of them to Lifestyles. The second palm print on the paint brush matches 'Brother Michael', and the other brush matches 'Brother Aaron'. Still working on the prints we pulled from the empty liquor bottles, but I gotta say, I'm feeling pretty confident."
"We got the boot print too, once we can confirm who the boots belong to," Catherine interrupted, "and I've got a couple of visuals from the molds you and Nick took in the desert - two pairs of running shoes, and another set of cowboy boots. And guys - check this out -" Catherine turned over the first pair of running shoes she had placed off to the side, indicating the caked dirt in the treads. "This dirt looks like it's been soaked in blood. What do you think, Greg?"
Greg grinned, "I think I've got more DNA to run."
* * * * *
"I think this is as good as it gets, War," Nick sighed, his hands at the back of his waist as he stretched out his spine.
"I agree," Warrick studied the window in front of him intently. "This is a bullet hole here, and here," he pointed them out to Nick, before stepping closer. "This - top side up - this is the inside of the glass, right?"
Nick nodded, moving to Warrick's side, studying the glass with him. "This looks like blood here," he indicated some dried red flecks around the first hole Warrick had pointed to. "It looks like the bullet went out the window - maybe it went through one of our victims first?"
Warrick nodded thoughtfully, "but this one - the bullet came through the window. I think this was the first bullet here - didn't shatter the glass, but weakened it. See the striations here? And the pieces are larger, not like they shattered inward. Where you are, the pieces are smaller - you can tell they blew outwards. The window survived the initial shot in, but was too weakened to survive the second bullet out."
"I agree, man. Which means we're lucky no one was walking around outside when the second bullet went through, or we could have had another victim. It looks like the bullet went through at a slight upwards trajectory - shall we go and see if we can find the bullet?" Nick grinned at Warrick.
"Yeah, man. Let's go tell Grissom we're finished here, see what he says."
_________
Author's Note: Sorry for the slight delay in getting this chapter up - I've been playing with it for a few days now, and am finally happy with the way it progresses. Next chapter should be up sooner - maybe even tomorrow - so keep looking! A big thanks to Jan and Indus, for their suggestions and corrections!
The soft brush of Alli's mouth against his own was startling, to say the least. Before Greg could respond, she pulled away and smiled at him shyly.
"What was that?" The words popped out of Greg's mouth without volition, and he blushed when Alli laughed.
"It was supposed to be a kiss, but I must be losing my touch if you had to ask."
"Why did you kiss me?"
Alli shrugged, "Why not? You're a nice guy, Greg. You're giving me a fantastic deal on a great apartment, thus saving Goliath from too many more nights in the garage, and - I just felt like it."
"Oh." Greg looked a little baffled, but he smiled at Alli. "I'm not complaining. I was just - surprised, that's all." His expression turned teasing, "Do you normally just jump any guy you feel like kissing?"
"Shut up!" Alli grabbed a throw pillow, and whacked Greg lightly.
Greg grinned, easily fending off the pillow with one arm, "'Cuz I have to tell you, this is Las Vegas - behavior like that can get you into trouble!"
"I didn't jump you!" Alli was laughing now, but a slight flush had crept up her cheeks.
"You're blushing!" Greg crowed, "that means you wanted to jump me!" He grabbed the throw pillow from her hand, tossing it over his shoulder and stilling her hands with his own. Alli stopped laughing when she caught the suddenly serious expression on Greg's face. They stared at each other silently for a moment, Greg's eyes plumbing her own, so serious and so - questioning - they almost made her heart stop. "You wanted to, right?" he whispered again.
Alli sighed, and leaned forward slightly, "You have eyes just like Bambi."
Greg grinned, "That's not an answer."
"Do you really need an answer?"
"Do you really need an apartment?"
Alli laughed, "Blackmail! I just - I wanted to kiss you. Are you happy?"
"I'll be happier if I know you want to do it again." Greg's smile was flirtatious, and his eyes glowed happily. "I really like you, Alli."
"I like you too, Greg. So - when can I move in?"
"Whenever you want. Shall we go grab something to eat - I have to be to work in 30 minutes. I think we'll have to do drive-thru."
"As long as it's not McDonald's, I don't care!" Alli agreed, smiling as Greg quickly stood and helped her to her feet. His fingers squeezed her hand firmly before twining with her own.
"I'm glad you came to Vegas."
Alli stood on her tiptoes and leaned in to kiss the side of his face, "I'm glad too."
* * * * *
"Grissom, I need to talk to you," Warrick's mellow voice sounded unusually harsh. Grissom looked up, startled when he saw the younger man standing in his office doorway, arms crossed.
"Sure Warrick. What can I do for you?" Grissom indicated the empty seat across from his desk, and frowned slightly when Warrick stepped into his office and shout the door before sitting down. "Something wrong?"
"Since when do you have permission to intrude into my personal life?"
"What are you talking about?" Grissom was honestly surprised, but Warrick didn't relent.
"I'm talking about Katie. Don't you think she has enough on her plate dealing with her brother's death and witnessing a double-murder, without having to worry about causing me problems too?"
"She told you we spoke."
"Yeah, she told me you spoke. Don't you think you should have come to me with your concerns, Grissom?"
"I was planning to, today. We have a safe house for them, Warrick. They can go there tomorrow."
Warrick sat back in his chair, shoulders slumping in defeat, "So, that's it then."
Grissom watched his friend with concern. "She's really gotten to you, hasn't she Warrick? Both of them. You know it's the best thing for the case."
Warrick sighed, "I know. Nancy told me last night she thought Scotty sent me to look after them. I don't want them to have to leave. They've been through too much already, and I don't think Nancy will be able to adjust. She's just a kid, Grissom - she needs stability."
"How would it look to a defense attorney, Warrick? Even a half-assed one would be able to cast doubt on any evidence you collected at Lifestyles; regarding her brother's murder, if she stays with you. And what about justice for those two kids in the desert?"
"What if you pulled me off the case?" Warrick's voice was calm. "If I'm not on the case, they can't question the evidence, right?"
"What about the evidence you've already gathered? Besides which, we need you on this case. It's too big to pull you."
"What if we got an admission of guilt?"
"Warrick," Grissom's voice was firm, "why are you doing this?"
Warrick shrugged and remained silent, intently studying his hands before looking up at Grissom, his eyes pained. "I don't want them to leave."
"Is there more going on there than I'm aware of, Warrick?" Grissom sighed, and ran an agitated hand through his smoky curls. "Catherine told me she was 'feeling the vibes'," he grimaced when he said this, the words sounding foreign coming from him. "Was she right? I know you're emotionally involved - but is it more 'emotional' than it should be?"
Warrick shrugged, "Am I talking to my boss, or my friend?"
"Both."
"Okay. Listen - I don't know. There's something there, and I can't deny it. I feel like Nancy is my responsibility. I feel like it's my job to look after her and keep her safe - Nancy and Katie. I know what they're going through."
"How could you possibly know what they're going through?"
"Grissom, I think it's time I told you about Delia."
* * * * *
Sara and Nick were sitting in the lounge with Catherine, bouncing ideas and theories off each other, when Greg walked in with Alli carrying Wendy's bags.
"Greg, Alli," Nick smiled, "so - how did it go?"
Alli grinned, "Thank you so much for suggesting Greg rent to me! His apartment is amazing - you should see his bedroom!" She stopped suddenly, face flaring red as she realized what she had just said. Beside her, Greg was grinning, but his face was just as red.
"I mean - you should see what he's done with it - he's got glow in the dark stars all over the place and -"
"We know, we know. Saw it when we packed his clothes for him." Sara was smiling wickedly at Greg, enjoying the happy expression in his eyes. "So, based on your exuberance, I assume you're going to rent."
"I'd be a fool not to! I'll never find a better deal."
Greg indicated she should sit at the table, and quickly sat beside her himself, pulling his fries and grilled chicken from his bag. "We didn't have time to eat before she drove me to work, so I hope you guys don't mind if we chow down here."
"Keep your eyes on your fries, dude!" Nick grinned, snaking a hand out and grabbing a hot one.
Alli smiled when she heard the familiar footfall of Dr. Robbins coming down the hall. "There's Uncle Al - I suppose I should tell him. Excuse me for a minute." She popped up from her seat and headed out the doorway, calling after him. When she was gone, Sara, Nick and Catherine turned to Greg, expressions ranging from amused to avidly curious.
"She's cute!" Catherine opined. "And did she ever blush when she was talking about your bedroom." Her eyes flashed teasingly at Greg. "I'd say she definitely saw stars."
Sara giggled. "Literally. You look happy, Greggo. Are you happy?"
Greg shrugged, "Happy to rent my apartment? Yeah, I am. It's a load off, financially."
"Don't bug him, girls. He and Alli barely know each other - yet!" Nick winked at Greg, and Greg blushed. "Did you talk to Dr. Jansen?"
Greg blushed harder, and Nick laughed. "I see that you did. Cool man. How are things going?"
"Not bad. He seemed pretty happy - said I could maybe start field work in a few more weeks. I need to start going to physio, too."
"And everything else - all systems go, right?"
Greg looked at Nick, trying to glare at him without looking like he was glaring. Nick grinned cheekily, and Sara and Catherine started laughing.
"There's a whole subtext to this conversation I'm just not getting," Catherine said, "and I don't think I want to."
"Thank God for that!" Greg muttered under his breath.
* * * * *
Warrick and Grissom walked into the lounge together, both men strangely subdued. Alli had returned earlier, and she and Greg were just finishing their take-out dinner. Grissom smiled at her when she jumped to her feet, "Hi Mr. Grissom. I was just leaving!"
"Relax, Alli. At least finish your French fries. Al know you're here?"
"Yeah - I was talking to him earlier - needed to tell him about Greg's apartment," Alli grinned. "I think he's still in shock!"
Greg looked up at this, "In shock? Why?"
Alli grinned, "He's my uncle. He thinks he needs to protect me. When I told him I was moving into your place, he started getting all bristly, until I reminded him you're at Sara's and Nick's. He thought you were putting the moves on me."
"Little does he know!" Greg responded, before a mortified look crossed his face when everyone started laughing. "Shit. Did I just say that out loud? Note to self: turn sound on internal monolog OFF!"
Nick was grinning, "When are you moving in Alli?"
"As soon as you and Greg offer to help me move," she responded impishly. "I don't have much, so an hour or two of your time is all that's required. Greg's apartment is fully furnished, so I just need help carting my crap up."
"We can help tomorrow afternoon, before work, right guys?" Sara responded. "If that's all right."
They quickly made plans, and Alli walked to the door, feet light and a happy smile on her face. "I'm going to go say goodbye to Uncle Al. See you later. Bye, Greg."
"Later, Alli," Greg watched her leave, smiling softly when she looked through the lounge window and gave him a three-fingered wave. He waved back, before turning to see the amused expressions on his friends' faces.
"She's cute," Sara offered.
"She likes you." Catherine added.
Grissom cocked a brow at him, "She's Dr. Robbins favorite niece, so don't do anything rash - but I agree with Catherine."
Greg tried not to look too pleased at this remark, instead gathering together the garbage from their meal. "So, what's on the list tonight?"
* * * * *
Brass caught Grissom in the hallway 30 minutes later, deep in thought as he perused a stapled file in his hand.
"Grissom - yo! Stop a second." Brass blustered over to him, smiling when Grissom raised an eyebrow at him. "I got those warrants you wanted. We can head over anytime - barn, outlying areas, everything - including permission to dig."
Grissom smiled absently, "Good. Good. What about for the DNA from the women?"
"We can get it from them, but not any of the children. Judge wouldn't go for that. What're you reading?"
"It's the missing person's report filed over two years ago on Eric Shelton, the guy who told Scotty and Katie about the commune. I've got the case file - looks like we sent a guy out to talk to Enoch and some of the men, since that was his last known address. Officer Langdon? Yeah - Langdon. His notes are interesting. I've asked O'Reilly to find him and ask him to come talk to me. He should be here any minute. Let's see if he has anything to add before we head out to the commune."
Brass nodded in agreement, "Fine by me, Griss. Where is everyone else?"
"Warrick and Nick are hoping to get the rest of the window together from Magikal - says they're almost done. Cath, Sara and Greg are in the lab. Greg's running the DNA we got from the ladies we brought in yesterday, including the lovely lady Rebekah, and Sara and Catherine are sorting through the rest of the physical evidence and still running print comparisons."
"You got a match from the school room computer on the brochures right?"
Grissom nodded. "Found all the files. If only we could find out who wrote them. I know Enoch is behind this all - there has to be some way we can link him in."
Brass shook his head. "That man is sly. He's planted the seeds, for sure. But not one of the people we've got already have even indicated they were acting on instructions from him. He's like Manson."
Grissom smiled grimly. "But Manson's in jail."
* * * * *
"I'd only been on the job for three months, sir. I'd say it was a pretty typical interview. They seemed helpful enough." Officer Langdon shifted nervously in his seat, trying to remain calm. In reality, sitting across from Captain Brass and 'Gruesome' Grissom was pretty damned intimidating, even though Mr. Grissom had complimented him on his notes.
"You wrote here that Enoch Winters said Eric just decided to leave one day?" Grissom tapped the report thoughtfully, watching Langdon intensely, his gaze sharp.
"That's what he said. Gave no reason for it, either. Said no one knew why he decided to go, but they couldn't change his mind."
"Did you find his answers evasive? Any of the other people you spoke with - were they evasive?"
"No. They all said the same thing. He left. Said he was going to California."
"What did you think of them? Of the commune?" Brass questioned.
"They seemed a little hippy-dippy to me, sir. They had just finished building the barn, you know, and one of the men - I'm sorry, sir, I forget his name, but he was built like a moose and had military short hair - was pretty proud of that fact. He said Enoch was teaching them to be self- sufficient. The barn was going to be for their livestock, complete with slaughter house and a small tanning room."
Grissom looked interested at this. "Slaughter house? Tanning room?"
"Yes, sir. Can I see my report?" Grissom handed it to him, watching as the young man quickly flipped through the pages, searching the names. "This guy - called himself Brother Michael. Anyway, he gave me a tour. Said he was a butcher by trade, and Enoch had made sure he would have everything on hand for him - cows, chickens, pigs. The tannery was for Enoch himself - he was going to teach the men how to skin the animals and treat the hide - planned on curing their own leather, making their own clothes. You know - hippy stuff."
Grissom smiled at this. "Enoch was going to teach them? You're sure he said Enoch?"
"It's not in my notes, sir. Not being pertinent to the missing man and all, but yeah - he said Enoch." Langdon picked up on Grissom's barely suppressed excitement and smiled, "Am I helping at all?"
"Yes, Officer Langdon, you are. You said the barn had just been finished? Any other signs of fresh construction?"
"The icehouse had just been finished - couldn't go in, because they were just preparing the ice and the doors were sealed. The foundation for the smokehouse was ready to be poured that week. And a couple of those geo- homes they have out there now were just being finished."
Brass looked at Grissom and smiled sourly. "Fresh foundation for the smokehouse. Interesting. You mind coming with us when we go there this evening. I think we could use you."
Langdon grinned. "My pleasure, sir. As long as my chief doesn't mind, that is."
"Don't worry. I'll clear it with him." Brass turned to Grissom, "We might be able to nail the bastard after all."
* * * * *
"DNA match with one of the hairs," Greg sounded pleased with himself. "Rebekah Winters helped make the note from Lifestyles."
Sara looked up at Greg and smiled, "That'll make Grissom happy. I've managed to confirm a few more of the prints - all the men Katie places at the desert murders can be accounted for through fingerprint matches, and I can tie a couple of them to Lifestyles. The second palm print on the paint brush matches 'Brother Michael', and the other brush matches 'Brother Aaron'. Still working on the prints we pulled from the empty liquor bottles, but I gotta say, I'm feeling pretty confident."
"We got the boot print too, once we can confirm who the boots belong to," Catherine interrupted, "and I've got a couple of visuals from the molds you and Nick took in the desert - two pairs of running shoes, and another set of cowboy boots. And guys - check this out -" Catherine turned over the first pair of running shoes she had placed off to the side, indicating the caked dirt in the treads. "This dirt looks like it's been soaked in blood. What do you think, Greg?"
Greg grinned, "I think I've got more DNA to run."
* * * * *
"I think this is as good as it gets, War," Nick sighed, his hands at the back of his waist as he stretched out his spine.
"I agree," Warrick studied the window in front of him intently. "This is a bullet hole here, and here," he pointed them out to Nick, before stepping closer. "This - top side up - this is the inside of the glass, right?"
Nick nodded, moving to Warrick's side, studying the glass with him. "This looks like blood here," he indicated some dried red flecks around the first hole Warrick had pointed to. "It looks like the bullet went out the window - maybe it went through one of our victims first?"
Warrick nodded thoughtfully, "but this one - the bullet came through the window. I think this was the first bullet here - didn't shatter the glass, but weakened it. See the striations here? And the pieces are larger, not like they shattered inward. Where you are, the pieces are smaller - you can tell they blew outwards. The window survived the initial shot in, but was too weakened to survive the second bullet out."
"I agree, man. Which means we're lucky no one was walking around outside when the second bullet went through, or we could have had another victim. It looks like the bullet went through at a slight upwards trajectory - shall we go and see if we can find the bullet?" Nick grinned at Warrick.
"Yeah, man. Let's go tell Grissom we're finished here, see what he says."
_________
Author's Note: Sorry for the slight delay in getting this chapter up - I've been playing with it for a few days now, and am finally happy with the way it progresses. Next chapter should be up sooner - maybe even tomorrow - so keep looking! A big thanks to Jan and Indus, for their suggestions and corrections!