Chapter 4
Grissom had wanted Sara to stay at his place, but she wasn't about to agree
to that. And as she had said, Brass didn't have the detail ready yet, so it
would be safer for her to be at the lab around other people. He hated how
she could argue so effectively, he also loved it. They had dropped by her
place so she could pick up some spare clothes and toiletries.
Sara walked into her apartment, her home. God no, it didn't feel like home anymore. She felt like she was intruding on someone else's space. There was dust everywhere, she reminded herself it was a crime scene. She went into her bedroom and opened her closet. Suddenly she recoiled. How did she know that guy hadn't gone through her clothes, laid on her bed? How did she know he hadn't touched her while she was sleeping? No, he couldn't have, she was only sleeping, she would have woken up. He would have had to have drugged her or... Then she realized. The sweetness of her lips, her sleeping in. He had drugged her. The reality of the situation hit her, emotionally and physically. All the memories came flooding back, and all the times he could have been watching her were realized. She tried to fight back the emotions, she failed. Her body started to shake.
Grissom was starting to get worried. She had insisted he stay in the car, she'd be angry if he came up. Oh well, he was bound to piss her off today, it might as well be now. 'Sara'. Even though her back was turned he could see that she was shaking and he could here her almost silent sobs. Slowly, he walked up and put his arms around her. At first she froze, then she realized who it was and allowed herself to be comforted. 'It's ok, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, it's ok.' Sara didn't stop crying, but she turned around to face him. She buried her head in his chest and slowly the shaking lessened. He gently stroked her hair, noticing the smoothness of it. 'It's ok, everything's ok'. She realized then, this was the first time, she had felt safe in years.
Nick, Catherine and Warrick looked across at Sara as she entered the room with Grissom. She was visibly lighter. Her face, which had always been a picture of vitality and energy (except for when she worked 3 weeks without a day off), was now gaunt and pale. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot. It had only taken 24 hours for this criminal to corrupt the Sara they knew and loved. They could never have imagined seeing her this weak, if only they knew.
She sat down and gave them all a smile. That thousand watt smile, that was still as wide but didn't have quite the same vigor as it had in the past.
'I'm fine, just a little tired.' They all nodded their heads, but none of them really believed it.
'Ok today's cases, Eckley has agreed to take our one homicide, so we've been left with a missing person who happens to have a habit of wandering away from home and an armed robbery. I reckon we can get that over and done with in a couple of hours, then get back to concentrating on Sara's case.'
'Hold on, how the hell did you get Eckley to take on the homicide.' Catherine had to ask, besides being curious, this information could come in handy if she ever needed something from Eckley.
'Let's just say, there was a certain amount of compliments and flattery involved.' Wow thought Sara, he must care about me. I mean any guy that would suck up to Eckley had to care about you. Damn, someone's phone started ringing.
'It's mine.'
'Um, Sara', Nick said in his cautionary older brother tone, 'Maybe it's not a good idea to answer that.'
'Well I'm not just going to let it ring.'
'Maybe Nick is right.' Warrick said.
'It's probably not even him.' Sara went to answer the phone.
'Stop, I agree with Nick and Warrick, and I bet Catherine does too', Catherine nodded her head in agreement, 'and anyway, if you don't answer your mobile he'll probably try the office phone and they'll forward it through to here. That way you can put it on speaker.' Sara didn't like that idea, even though rationally she knew he was right. But she no longer had a choice, her phone had stopped ringing. The silence that followed was almost as bone chilling as the ringing. At least with the ringing there was something simpler to concentrate on. But now all these questions started to emerge. However, the silence was a brief one, the office phone showed a call had been put through. 'Put it on speaker.' Sara pressed the speaker button, then picked up the phone.
Sara walked into her apartment, her home. God no, it didn't feel like home anymore. She felt like she was intruding on someone else's space. There was dust everywhere, she reminded herself it was a crime scene. She went into her bedroom and opened her closet. Suddenly she recoiled. How did she know that guy hadn't gone through her clothes, laid on her bed? How did she know he hadn't touched her while she was sleeping? No, he couldn't have, she was only sleeping, she would have woken up. He would have had to have drugged her or... Then she realized. The sweetness of her lips, her sleeping in. He had drugged her. The reality of the situation hit her, emotionally and physically. All the memories came flooding back, and all the times he could have been watching her were realized. She tried to fight back the emotions, she failed. Her body started to shake.
Grissom was starting to get worried. She had insisted he stay in the car, she'd be angry if he came up. Oh well, he was bound to piss her off today, it might as well be now. 'Sara'. Even though her back was turned he could see that she was shaking and he could here her almost silent sobs. Slowly, he walked up and put his arms around her. At first she froze, then she realized who it was and allowed herself to be comforted. 'It's ok, I'm not going to let anything happen to you, it's ok.' Sara didn't stop crying, but she turned around to face him. She buried her head in his chest and slowly the shaking lessened. He gently stroked her hair, noticing the smoothness of it. 'It's ok, everything's ok'. She realized then, this was the first time, she had felt safe in years.
Nick, Catherine and Warrick looked across at Sara as she entered the room with Grissom. She was visibly lighter. Her face, which had always been a picture of vitality and energy (except for when she worked 3 weeks without a day off), was now gaunt and pale. Her eyes were slightly bloodshot. It had only taken 24 hours for this criminal to corrupt the Sara they knew and loved. They could never have imagined seeing her this weak, if only they knew.
She sat down and gave them all a smile. That thousand watt smile, that was still as wide but didn't have quite the same vigor as it had in the past.
'I'm fine, just a little tired.' They all nodded their heads, but none of them really believed it.
'Ok today's cases, Eckley has agreed to take our one homicide, so we've been left with a missing person who happens to have a habit of wandering away from home and an armed robbery. I reckon we can get that over and done with in a couple of hours, then get back to concentrating on Sara's case.'
'Hold on, how the hell did you get Eckley to take on the homicide.' Catherine had to ask, besides being curious, this information could come in handy if she ever needed something from Eckley.
'Let's just say, there was a certain amount of compliments and flattery involved.' Wow thought Sara, he must care about me. I mean any guy that would suck up to Eckley had to care about you. Damn, someone's phone started ringing.
'It's mine.'
'Um, Sara', Nick said in his cautionary older brother tone, 'Maybe it's not a good idea to answer that.'
'Well I'm not just going to let it ring.'
'Maybe Nick is right.' Warrick said.
'It's probably not even him.' Sara went to answer the phone.
'Stop, I agree with Nick and Warrick, and I bet Catherine does too', Catherine nodded her head in agreement, 'and anyway, if you don't answer your mobile he'll probably try the office phone and they'll forward it through to here. That way you can put it on speaker.' Sara didn't like that idea, even though rationally she knew he was right. But she no longer had a choice, her phone had stopped ringing. The silence that followed was almost as bone chilling as the ringing. At least with the ringing there was something simpler to concentrate on. But now all these questions started to emerge. However, the silence was a brief one, the office phone showed a call had been put through. 'Put it on speaker.' Sara pressed the speaker button, then picked up the phone.