Chapter 3 Sara sat in Grissom's car silently. She thought of trying an escape by taking her car, but then she realized she'd come into the lab with Nick. She avoided eye contact with Grissom. Hopefully, he wouldn't ask anymore questions, at least not tonight.

'Sara, what do you think the message he's trying to send you is?'

Damn it. 'I don't know.' She felt a little bit guilty, that was a blatant lie. She knew perfectly well what the message was. Grissom decided to leave it alone. He was well aware that she had been avoiding eye contact. That was the problem with Vegas, too many things to look at from car windows. He'd ask her again, later, when they got home, he meant his place.



'Hey Nick, is Catherine coming over to help us?'

'No, she's going home to spend some time with Lindsay. Have you found anything?'

'No, this guy didn't want to be caught.'

'Nick'

'Yeah'

'Do you get the feeling that Sara's not telling us the whole story.'

'Definitely. I reckon the only reason she told us anything was so that she could control what we knew.'

'Hold on what's this on the floor.' Warrick examined a couple of stains on the floor next to the couch then he bent down to smell it. 'Nick, this smells like chloroform.'

'If Sara fell asleep on the couch, then the guy came in and chloroformed her she wouldn't have heard a thing.'

'It explains why she didn't wake up.'

'Damn, I should have known.'

'Why?'

'When I came over earlier, Sara mentioned her lips felt sweet. A classic symptom of chloroform use.'





Sara looked around Grissom's apartment. She hated to admit it, but she felt safer here than she would have at her apartment. It was awful knowing that this guy had violated her privacy. She started to understand what Nick had felt like when he had the stalker in his home.

'Sara, are you hungry?'

'No, but thanks.'

'Sit down.'

'Why?'

'I want to talk to you.' She should have known he wasn't going to let the subject drop that easily.

'That's fine, but I'd prefer to stand.' He realized this was going to be even harder than he thought.

'Ok. So Sara, why did you leave Justin.'

'I'm not going to answer that.'

'Then answer this, what did that eyelash mean? Look at me when you answer this time.' No answer.

'Have you ever told anyone why you left Justin?'

'No. But somehow, I think this guy, the suspect knows. I don't know how he does, I never told anyone.'

'Do you keep a diary or journal?'

'No.'

'Since you won't tell me why you left, I can't figure out what this guy is trying to tell you.'

'He's telling me he knows my secrets, that he has control and power.'

'You're still not going to tell me about Justin?'

'No'

'Alright', Grissom knew it was pointless to keep arguing with Sara, 'The spare bedroom is down that hall on the right, get some sleep Sara.'

'Goodnight Grissom.' She walked down the hall thinking about what else this stalker, or possible murderer, was telling her. She knew what the message was - she was the victim last time, and she was going to be the victim this time as well.