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A Little Love

Chapter Four

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"Timmy, why don't you slow down, okay?" Sara laid a hand on his arm to calm him down, he glanced in his rear view mirror and turned around to see who was behind him, he was speeding through the lanes of heavy traffic and he'd ran through more than one red light, she silently prayed a police car didn't decide to pull them over.

"The…Their after me Sara…you can't let them take me, those girls deserved to die, you understand that, right? They…they h…hurt me, Sara.  They didn't care about me not like you, you looked after me little one."

She looked in the side mirror when he wasn't looking she needed to see some sign that Brass and Catherine were following, that they knew where Timmy and her were heading, "Just slow down a little" she said soothingly.  It seemed to help she felt the car slow down considerably, "that's better".

He turned and smiled at her, "you always looked after me…You're the only one that never hurt me" he reached out and stroked the side of her face she suppressed a shudder and forced a smile.

"Where are you taking me Timmy?" she asked.

"My place it's…it's not too far…Five minutes more…Don't worry we'll be safe I'll keep you safe sweet heart".

*

"Warrick?"

Nick looked around the break room for his friend, he found him in the corner reading something, "where did everyone go?"

"I have no idea, I paged Cath and Gris but no ones called back…I did a little searching and found some more information on our guy…He's been around for awhile."

"When did he start?" Nick asked as he sat down.

"The first murder was January 18th 1988…Tamales Bay, California…Timothy Michael Andrews was the boyfriend of the victim and he was a suspect."

"Let me guess, no evidence."

"Right and no witnesses so he was released…" Warrick paused.

"Your missing something out man, come on tell me."

"They interviewed the usual people relatives of the vic, friends, Sara…"

He trailed off and waited for Nick's response, "She didn't just know him from San Francisco she's known about him from the very beginning…And Grissom knew!" he shook his head in disbelief, he didn't know what else to say.

"They were friends Nick, good friends…Abby Peters handed this in to reception…Said Sara left it with her during the interview and thought she might want it back."  He handed Nick the photo.

"I can't believe this." was all he said.

*

Timothy opened the door to his house and stepped aside to let Sara enter "Home sweet home." He closed the door behind them and locked it not noticing the car that parked outside a house nearby.  "What do you think?" he looked at Sara waiting for her to say something "Do you like it?" a hopeful look spread across his face.

"It has potential" she told him as she followed him through the hallway and into the living room, he sat down on a blue suede chair opposite where she sat on the couch underneath the front window.

"I saw you at…at work a few nights ago…" he began not taking his eyes off her face, "You were talking to a man…No…Two men…Who were they?"

She could feel his eyes on her and in that moment she knew what it must feel like to be questioned in an interrogation room, "I talk to a lot of people Timothy –"

"Here!" he exclaimed loudly as he stood up, she jumped at the sudden sound but he didn't notice and she watched him warily, keeping a close eye on the door.  He returned about two minutes later with photographs, "from my private collection" he told her handing the photos to her.  There were three in all one of her by her car, another of her laughing at something with Nick, perfectly innocent, then the last was of her with Grissom, her hand was on the side of his face…Plaster she'd told him."

Timothy leaned over her shoulder "That's from a while ago, Sara, when that horrible woman Wescott said someone saw you two together…That was me…I…I was watching you even then…You two are close I understand that, but if I asked real nicely…Would you leave him and come away with me?" he had a pleading look on his face now "I even bought you something…A gift."

She didn't have to look inside the pouch to know what he wanted to give her…He was testing her, to see if she was loyal.  He wouldn't give her the necklace unless she had been unfaithful, right? "I'm sorry…" she pushed his hand with the pouch in it away and she stood. 

He nodded and placed the pouch on the coffee table in front of him, a solitary tear rolled down his cheek, "You…you love him" he said bitterly, he looked up at her to see her admit it, she did.

"I do…I…Could I use you're bathroom?" she asked.

He just nodded and pointed absently down the hall, she left the room and once out of his line of sight put on the latex gloves she had stuffed in her pocket, she had evidence to find.

*

Brass pulled his car up alongside Grissom and rolled down his window, "So what's going on?"

"They've been in there about five minutes I saw movement in the front room a few seconds before you got here, what took you so long anyway!"

"Traffic" Brass answered, looking towards the house.

"He didn't find it a problem" Grissom remarked dryly, "I don't like this let's get her out of there" he started to exit the vehicle.

"Give her a few more minutes Gris" Catherine said "She knows what she's doing…I feel bad about keeping Warrick and Nicky out of the loop on this" it was a feeble attempt at changing the subject.

"Well I'm sure they'll forgive us" Grissom said as he got out of the Tahoe.

*

Sara tiptoed through the hallway treading as quietly and as carefully as possible, she could hear Timothy in the living room, his was sniffing, sounding like he was holding back his emotions.  She could almost feel sorry for the guy, almost, the part that still cared for him was the 17 year old; he used to be the closest male friend she had, used to be…

*

The décor of the house was so familiar to her, she felt like she knew her way around, it hit her.  He'd recreated his home from many years ago.

Sara sat cross legged on the blue suede couch, Timothy knelt in front of her on a thick cream coloured carpet, he dipped his hand in his pocket and fished out a small pouch "I got it for Jessica, it's a special present for a special day…We've been going out for a year now." He took out from the pouch a necklace that glistened in the sunlight that seeped through the window, a light breeze floated in through the window and blew the fragile piece of jewellery that he held in his hand, "I'll give it to her tonight".

"She'll love it…I picked good, didn't I?" Sara asked smiling.

"You sure did little one…You're the best."

It was ten o clock when Sara arrived back at Timothy's house they had made planes to watch a movie, the door was open so she walked right in.  She peeped into the living room but it was empty so she continued on to the dining room, "Jessica?" she called out, her voice echoed through the empty house.  She heard an almost inaudible voice call her name, it was coming from the dining room, Sara stopped just outside the room, she couldn't move or even utter a word, he friend lay on her back her eyes gazing up at the white ceiling, her arm where outstretched the shiny necklace dangling from one of her fingers.  The blood was…Everywhere, seeping from a wound from Jessica's abdomen, the weapon was nowhere to be seen.

"Sara…" her friend called out softly, her sweet voice now hoarse, "It hurts…" her voice broke a little and still Sara did not move, "I'm…I'm cold Sara."

Sara slowly began walking forward in a daze, her surroundings a blur, her heart was pounding and she felt sick, she knelt by her friend and reached out to take Jessica's hand, their hands clasped together like they would never let go, "He hurt me bad…He wouldn't let me go…" Jessica closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Stay awake, Jess, please" Sara begged, pleaded, and prayed "please…"

Jessica turned her head slowly and winced at the pain it caused, her eyes were closed "Get him…Get…" she stopped in mid sentence and she never spoke again…

Her hands were colder now, her breathing stopped, her body motionless.

Sara stopped just outside the dining room, it was so familiar, but not so…This time there was no dying friend to greet her, just boxes, boxes of photos and gloves, and a letter opener the tip sharpened, the blade marked with blood.

*

Sara grabbed a packet of photographs out of the first box she came to then took the letter opener from the table, she looked around the room and tried to ignore the images that flashed before her eyes, were she was stood would have been were her friend had last lay, blood on the floor, on her pants, on her hands. She bagged the evidence and surveyed the room one last time before walking to the back door and quietly as possible unlocking it, and then she slipped out into the night, never looking back.

She ran across road and looked around, she had nowhere to run, she was alone, Sara suddenly wished she had listened to Grissom's advice and taken someone with her, she heard Timothy some distance behind her, his voice shouting her name could be heard through the quiet neighbourhood, she was starting to panic a little now, her plan didn't sound so good all of a sudden.

"Sara".

Grissom

She turned around and hugged him without warning, "its okay…everything's okay" he said gently.

"Just get me out of here" she whispered "please".

*

Four hours later Grissom, Sara, Catherine, Warrick and Nick were all sat together in the break room discussing the nights events; Sara was a little shook up and Grissom hadn't left her side all evening, it was obvious to all he was worried about her, "You should have told us" Nick said he was annoyed.

Warrick was equally so "What did you think we were gonna do? Run to the cops and tell them what we'd found out…"

"I told them not to say anything" Sara finally spoke "It was my choice…"

"Why Sara?" Nick more understanding now, he knew what it was like to keep a secret.

"I found his first…victim, she was my best friend, it was their one year anniversary and he'd bought her a necklace…I'd helped him pick it out.  I knew he'd done it…He was, possessive and he found out she'd been unfaithful…He didn't want her to do that to anyone again so he killed her, premeditated murder.  He was arrested but released there was no evidence, not long after I was accepted at Harvard and I left home, left behind everything and in time I stopped thinking about…him.  The next time I saw him as you know was in San Francisco, he'd murdered a woman…Elizabeth Laura Holmes, thirty years old from Connecticut; she'd cheated on him and he killed her, leaving behind a copy of the last gift he ever gave to Jess…His parting gift."

She stopped speaking for a moment and looked around at the people before here, she felt Grissom squeeze her hand in reassurance and she continued "A month later he struck again, "Amanda Barker, twenty eight from New York…She survived, barely.  I stayed with her at the hospital and the first time I left her side he came after her, he tried to strangle her with the necklace and I came in.  He turned to me and said…"

"Sara! It's so good to see you".

"Get away from her!" Sara shouted as she reached with a trembling hand to the gun at her side.

He smiled as he spoke, "I can't do that…She…She cheated on me Sara, just like all the others!"

"Back away Timothy" she shouted again but he didn't comply.  He turned his back on Sara and continued his work, Amanda gasped and grabbed Timothy, trying to pull him off her, Sara fired once but it was enough to bring him down, he slumped against the bed and Amanda stopped moving.

"I couldn't save her either, I couldn't even kill him properly."
"You're not a murderer Sara…He is" Nick said in a comforting tone.

"A few days later Grissom called asking my to come here, so I did…"

"That's why you left you're life in San Francisco so easily –" Warrick said interrupting her.

"I had no life there anymore" she finished.

Greg came rushing into the room, smiling "Hey! Guess what…" he looked around expectantly.

"Just tell us Greg" Catherine said impatiently, she was about to snatch the papers out of his hand when he started to speak.

"There were fingerprints on the photographs, two sets, one his and the other his victims, they were cut in two –"

"He rip them in two…like the women ripped his heart in two" Warrick said.

"Right, anyway the blood on the letter opener belonged to his last two victims and there was a partial print on the blade…that belongs to him." Greg looked around happily.

"We have him"

Sara turned to Catherine and nodded in agreement "finally".

*

Sara walked behind Grissom and Brass as they made their way along the drive to stop outside Timothy's house.  Brass knocked three times then waited while Timothy fumbled with the locks to open the door, he saw Grissom first "You" he spat out in obvious distaste, he saw Sara next "You…you left! Why did you leave?"

Brass coughed making his presence known, "Timothy Andrews you're under arrest for the murder of Elizabeth Laura Holmes and Amanda Barker…"

Timothy stepped back in panic "How could you?" he started at Sara in disbelief, "why?"

He turned and ran back into the house, Brass and Grissom wasted no time in following him.  Grissom and Sara went one way while Brass quietly made his way up the stairs, Sara had a feeling he would go to the dining room after all that's where the murders always took place.

They stepped into the dining room and surveyed the seemingly empty area; though he didn't want to use it Grissom had his gun in his hand.  "She was supposed to be with me" a voice behind them spoke sadly "You took her from me" Timothy said, he was going to break "She doesn't love me though…Nobody does…I'm sorry little one" a gun was in his hand and he brought it up.

"Timmy put the gun down" Sara spoke firmly and she saw him hesitate for a second before aiming the gun at Grissom, she did the first thing she could thing of, she stepped in front of Grissom seconds before a gun was fired. 

Brass was stood behind Timothy he was aiming at him but he hadn't fired, Timmy was on the floor a bullet through his head, the gun in his hand one bullet shy.

"He shot himself!" Brass spoke in disbelief.

"He couldn't kill you" Grissom spoke to Sara who stood motionless, she clutched his hand and didn't speak.

*

"He wasn't always like that…He was…a good man" Sara consoled the elderly woman who stood before her with a wet tissue in her hand from all the tears that had been shed.

"He's finally at peace" Mrs Andrews spoke between sobs, her husband stood beside her, the pillar of strength.

"He thought that in some way he was doing the right thing, people kept hurting him and he kept killing them, to stop the pain…" Sara told them, she was trying to make sense of the madness herself, and it was difficult to explain it to someone else.  The funeral had been yesterday and now she was getting ready to fly back home, to Las Vegas, they hugged Sara in turn then left her standing there waiting for a cab that would take her back to the airport.

"How are you doing?" a voice behind her asked, she turned in surprise.

"Grissom, what are you doing here?"

"I came to tell you to take a vacation…I knew if I just called and told you, you'd ignore me so I'm here to personally escort you to the airport…where do you want to go?"

"I just want to go home" she said.

He walked towards her a half smile on his face, "You have to let it go, it's over now".

"I know"

"You need to take a break".

"I know"

He tried again, "Not everyone is like Timothy".

"I know"

She didn't hear what he said next something about going to Florida she just saw the emotion in his eyes…The love in his eyes, she smiled.

"I know".

The End

I know a few of you were hankering for a S/N fic but not this time and not next time, but I will at some point soon.