Firstly, thank you for the reviews on the last chapter. Secondly I've just
had a fantastic new idea for a Catherine based story, which I'm smiling
about. Thirdly, I'm going to shut up and get on with the chapter! Chapter
6.
"What's the lead then?" Catherine asked genuinely intrigued.
"That'd be telling now wouldn't it?" He smiled at her flirtatiously and swept past his colleague.
"Warrick!" Her tone of voice was threatening but the smile lat lay idol on her lips conveyed otherwise.
"Ok ok. We weren't sure why the taillight was broken right?"
"Yes I'm aware of this, get to the good stuff."
"Ok fine. I just found fragments of headlight glass in the broken remnants of the taillight. Call me Sherlock but I think that's a lead."
"Good work, Get it up to trace and see what they can do." Catherine affirmed finally happy that something was coming together. "We just need to find Grissom now."
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Trace confirmed that yes it was fragments of a headlight that had been recovered from Sara's SUV and although suspicious they could not deduce anything else from this discovery. Catherine read the results, angry and disappointed at the same time. She needed a break through and she needed it now. She needed Grissom to turn up so that he could tell them what to do but searches by uniforms Brass had sent out had returned unproductive and fruitless.
Brass had spent the evening trying to clasp hold of rapidly fraying ropes that metaphorically speaking would have been leads. Despite his, Catherine's and Warrick's efforts it was Nick who came up with the goods in more ways than one.
Slamming through the double doors at the end of the corridor it looked like he was carrying something heavy. But getting closer Greg suddenly realised it wasn't something it was someone. Grissom to be precise.
"Nick where'd you find him?" Greg asked concerned, looking at the snoring, drunk, man with anguish.
"In a bar just off the strip. He is smashed. I've never seen him like this before. I was trying to keep him awake but I lost the battle."
"I'm not surprised. Let's get him into the break room and try and sober him up before Ecklie sees him."
Nick looked at his friend slightly confused. Greg took hold under Grissom's other arm and helped Nick to carry him to the break room. "Ecklie's coming in to check on our progress on the case in about 2 hours time. Some loud mouth shouted off that Grissom had gone missing and now Conrad is on his way down. By the sounds of it he's on the war path."
"Damn. We need to sober him up now." Setting him down gruffly on to the worn sofa, Greg turned around to make some fresh coffee.
"He's taking this badly."
"Wouldn't you be? He blames himself."
"But he shouldn't." Greg settled himself down next to his boss and smiled at the irony. Greg could have imagined this situation the other way round but somehow trying to sober Grissom up seemed somehow amusing to the young lab tech. "I'm going to have to leave this in your capable hands for a minute or two. My tests should be finishing and I really want to know if there's a lead."
Nick nodded and with a quick smile at Greg he turned his attentions once more to his boss. Somehow this night was getting longer and longer........
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Grissom now awake and slightly more sober than before, Nick took his chance to go find Catherine. He had a good lead and he didn't want to wait another second before sharing it. Eventually spotting her auburn hair he raced after her calling her name.
"Nick? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all. I think I've got our first lead."
"Make that second." Catherine filled him in on the taillight vs. headlight lead and Nick smiled at the progress.
"I think this one might prove to be slightly larger though. Now if the brake cables were cut then it would have had to have been in the last three days right?"
Catherine thought for a moment. "Yeah I suppose so."
"No, trust me I do have a point. It has to be within the last three days because that's when Sara got her car back from the MOT place right?"
"Right." Catherine affirmed.
"Wrong." Nick smiled at Catherine his dimples becoming increasingly noticeable. They always did when he was onto something. "I just heard from Brass that the guy who worked on Sara's car has a criminal record. We should check him out. IT might turn out to be bogus but we've got nothing else to go at the minute."
"What was the record for?" Catherine asked.
Handing over the file he motioned for her to come with him. She followed her head stuck down into the file thankful once again for the new lead. She looked up momentarily and didn't recognise the person on the sofa. Was it even a person? Yes and unfortunately it seemed to be a very drunk person. Shaking her head she turned to Nick. "Leave him to sleep it off. Come on lets go."
Nick drove to the garage a little quicker than he should have. It was a long shot that this guy would still be at the small time garage but it was worth a try. When this endeavour produced nothing they drove over to the man's house. The lights were all off and the stark streetlights cast eerie and atavistic shadows onto the worn down suburban house.
Nick thought it was worth a try so he got out of his vehicle and walked up to the front door. Ringing the doorbell unrelentingly eventually he gave up on not receiving an answer. So quiet was the neighbourhood that it made Nick jump when his cell rang.
"Get back to the lab now." The voice was barely audible a hushed whisper but recognisable as Greg.
"What's wrong Greg?" Nick asked quietly even though no one could hear him. Stepping back inside the vehicle he looked at Catherine with a bemused look.
"Well I've got good and bad news." Not waiting for his colleagues to answer, which one they wanted first he leapt ahead with the conversation. "Bad news is that Ecklie's here and Grissom's still drunk as a skunk throwing up in the bathroom. Luckily Ecklie hasn't found him. Yet. Good news is I think I've definitely got our first real lead."
Nick smiled everyone had the 'first lead'. "Make that third buddy and we're making our way back now." Clicking off his cell he noticed something in the distance. He looked again. Yes, it was definitely there and it looked like someone running.
"Stay here." Nick said in a hushed whisper.
"Don't give me that macho BS." Putting a hand on her gun she continued. "I'm a better shot than you and you know it. I'm coming with you."
Stepping out of the vehicle with as little noise as possible they ran quickly around to where they'd last seen the running shadow.
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"Grissom whatever you do stay in here. Do you hear me?" Greg said as quietly but as angrily as he could manage.
"Greg, I'm drunk not stupid." Somehow Grissom found this hilarious and burst into a fit of giggles. Greg clasped a hand over his mouth and looked around anxiously. Thankfully no one was here to hear or see their supervisor in this kind of state. Reluctantly, Greg left Grissom in the toilet and pasted a smile onto his face and went outside to face Ecklie. This was going to need all of his theatrics to pull this one off.
"Hello Conrad."
"Hello Gregory." Greg scowled. Yes Gregory was his name but he hated it. If he could have growled at the older man he would have but he needed to pull this off so that Ecklie would leave.
"You don't need to worry now Warrick found Grissom. He was at the hospital." Greg had got an A+ in Drama class once he just hoped his 'talent' hadn't deserted him.
"Oh right well I still have to see him if that's alright."
"I'm sorry you can't at the moment. He's working with Warrick on a lead at present. Can I take a message for you?"
"No it's alright I'll just get him on his cell." Greg's eyes opened with horror. Damn he hadn't thought of that. He just hoped Grissom's phone was still off like it had been earlier. Thankfully as Ecklie dialled the numbers and waited it seemed that yes it was switched off. Greg silently cheered in his head it looked like he'd be able to pull this off after all.
"If you don't mind I think I'll use the bathroom before I go though." Damn why was Ecklie innocently finding everything that Greg was guiltily trying to hide.
"I do mind actually." Theatrics were his last hope. "The cleaner has only just been in there and I don't think she'd appreciate you mucking up her clean loo. Now if you don't mind use your own loo at home." Greg faked a look of seriousness and as Ecklie looked at Greg half amused half concerned for the mental state of the young man stood before him he started to walk away. Shaking his head he said under his breath just loud enough for Greg to hear, "that kid needs a cat scan."
As soon as Ecklie was out of sight Greg rushed to the toilet huffing a huge sigh of relief. His eyes opened wider at the sight before him as he drew in a sharp gasp of air....................
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Nick held a finger to his lips, motioning silently for Catherine to be quieter. The figure was a couple of metres away and Nick was watching him eagerly. His heart racing he jumped out from behind the bush they'd been hiding behind.
"Freeze!"
The figure jumped in fright and managed to trip over their own feet landing with an enormous thud on the ground. Nick quickly paced over to where the stranger was and realised with horror that the 'stranger' was in fact Brass.
"Brass what the hell are you doing here?" Catherine asked slightly amused at the situation.
"This guy isn't who we need to talk to. But one of his buddies is. Someone was going round the back of the house via the alleyway and I was following them now I've lost them." Brass spat out. Nick hopped over Brass at this point and ran up the alleyway. Catherine reached down quietly and helped to pick the older man up from the concrete. Suddenly something broke the silence between the pair.
It was an unmistakable sound.
Someone had just been shot.
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"Grissom!" What was this guy Houdini? He'd disappeared for the second time in 24 hours. He wasn't in the toilet where Greg had left him and a quick check of the surrounding corridors and rooms had provided Greg with nothing more than concern. Damn it why couldn't that man just do as he was told. As if by magic a thought popped into Greg's head. Warrick was still here. He could help him look for the missing boss.
Making his way down to the car lot where Sara's SUV was being held his eyes strained to focus in the dimly lit room.
"Hello?" He whispered.
"Yeah over here." Someone whispered back.
"Is that you Warrick?" Greg asked spotting a silhouette across from him.
"Who else do you think it is? Has Ecklie gone?"
"Yeah but Grissom's gone missing again."
"No he hasn't."
"Ok explain now Warrick." Switching the lights on and startling Greg, Warrick squinted in the newly formed illuminated room. "You could've warned me there man." Greg rubbed his eyes.
"Sorry, Grissom hasn't disappeared. I retrieved him from the toilets where you left him. I lift weights," Warrick emphasised and pointed at the sleeping supervisor in the corner, "But that was hard work."
Greg heaved a sigh of relief. "I can't thank you enough although now Ecklie thinks I need a cat scan." He put on a mock face of worry and walked over to Grissom. Slapping him lightly on the face he said, "We need to sober you up man."
A voice came from behind the crouched pair. "I wouldn't bother."
I know it was a long chapter but once I started writing I couldn't stop! Please review, as I would really like to hear any of your feedback or ideas. Until next time load of love tinx . =) XX
"What's the lead then?" Catherine asked genuinely intrigued.
"That'd be telling now wouldn't it?" He smiled at her flirtatiously and swept past his colleague.
"Warrick!" Her tone of voice was threatening but the smile lat lay idol on her lips conveyed otherwise.
"Ok ok. We weren't sure why the taillight was broken right?"
"Yes I'm aware of this, get to the good stuff."
"Ok fine. I just found fragments of headlight glass in the broken remnants of the taillight. Call me Sherlock but I think that's a lead."
"Good work, Get it up to trace and see what they can do." Catherine affirmed finally happy that something was coming together. "We just need to find Grissom now."
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Trace confirmed that yes it was fragments of a headlight that had been recovered from Sara's SUV and although suspicious they could not deduce anything else from this discovery. Catherine read the results, angry and disappointed at the same time. She needed a break through and she needed it now. She needed Grissom to turn up so that he could tell them what to do but searches by uniforms Brass had sent out had returned unproductive and fruitless.
Brass had spent the evening trying to clasp hold of rapidly fraying ropes that metaphorically speaking would have been leads. Despite his, Catherine's and Warrick's efforts it was Nick who came up with the goods in more ways than one.
Slamming through the double doors at the end of the corridor it looked like he was carrying something heavy. But getting closer Greg suddenly realised it wasn't something it was someone. Grissom to be precise.
"Nick where'd you find him?" Greg asked concerned, looking at the snoring, drunk, man with anguish.
"In a bar just off the strip. He is smashed. I've never seen him like this before. I was trying to keep him awake but I lost the battle."
"I'm not surprised. Let's get him into the break room and try and sober him up before Ecklie sees him."
Nick looked at his friend slightly confused. Greg took hold under Grissom's other arm and helped Nick to carry him to the break room. "Ecklie's coming in to check on our progress on the case in about 2 hours time. Some loud mouth shouted off that Grissom had gone missing and now Conrad is on his way down. By the sounds of it he's on the war path."
"Damn. We need to sober him up now." Setting him down gruffly on to the worn sofa, Greg turned around to make some fresh coffee.
"He's taking this badly."
"Wouldn't you be? He blames himself."
"But he shouldn't." Greg settled himself down next to his boss and smiled at the irony. Greg could have imagined this situation the other way round but somehow trying to sober Grissom up seemed somehow amusing to the young lab tech. "I'm going to have to leave this in your capable hands for a minute or two. My tests should be finishing and I really want to know if there's a lead."
Nick nodded and with a quick smile at Greg he turned his attentions once more to his boss. Somehow this night was getting longer and longer........
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Grissom now awake and slightly more sober than before, Nick took his chance to go find Catherine. He had a good lead and he didn't want to wait another second before sharing it. Eventually spotting her auburn hair he raced after her calling her name.
"Nick? What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Nothing at all. I think I've got our first lead."
"Make that second." Catherine filled him in on the taillight vs. headlight lead and Nick smiled at the progress.
"I think this one might prove to be slightly larger though. Now if the brake cables were cut then it would have had to have been in the last three days right?"
Catherine thought for a moment. "Yeah I suppose so."
"No, trust me I do have a point. It has to be within the last three days because that's when Sara got her car back from the MOT place right?"
"Right." Catherine affirmed.
"Wrong." Nick smiled at Catherine his dimples becoming increasingly noticeable. They always did when he was onto something. "I just heard from Brass that the guy who worked on Sara's car has a criminal record. We should check him out. IT might turn out to be bogus but we've got nothing else to go at the minute."
"What was the record for?" Catherine asked.
Handing over the file he motioned for her to come with him. She followed her head stuck down into the file thankful once again for the new lead. She looked up momentarily and didn't recognise the person on the sofa. Was it even a person? Yes and unfortunately it seemed to be a very drunk person. Shaking her head she turned to Nick. "Leave him to sleep it off. Come on lets go."
Nick drove to the garage a little quicker than he should have. It was a long shot that this guy would still be at the small time garage but it was worth a try. When this endeavour produced nothing they drove over to the man's house. The lights were all off and the stark streetlights cast eerie and atavistic shadows onto the worn down suburban house.
Nick thought it was worth a try so he got out of his vehicle and walked up to the front door. Ringing the doorbell unrelentingly eventually he gave up on not receiving an answer. So quiet was the neighbourhood that it made Nick jump when his cell rang.
"Get back to the lab now." The voice was barely audible a hushed whisper but recognisable as Greg.
"What's wrong Greg?" Nick asked quietly even though no one could hear him. Stepping back inside the vehicle he looked at Catherine with a bemused look.
"Well I've got good and bad news." Not waiting for his colleagues to answer, which one they wanted first he leapt ahead with the conversation. "Bad news is that Ecklie's here and Grissom's still drunk as a skunk throwing up in the bathroom. Luckily Ecklie hasn't found him. Yet. Good news is I think I've definitely got our first real lead."
Nick smiled everyone had the 'first lead'. "Make that third buddy and we're making our way back now." Clicking off his cell he noticed something in the distance. He looked again. Yes, it was definitely there and it looked like someone running.
"Stay here." Nick said in a hushed whisper.
"Don't give me that macho BS." Putting a hand on her gun she continued. "I'm a better shot than you and you know it. I'm coming with you."
Stepping out of the vehicle with as little noise as possible they ran quickly around to where they'd last seen the running shadow.
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"Grissom whatever you do stay in here. Do you hear me?" Greg said as quietly but as angrily as he could manage.
"Greg, I'm drunk not stupid." Somehow Grissom found this hilarious and burst into a fit of giggles. Greg clasped a hand over his mouth and looked around anxiously. Thankfully no one was here to hear or see their supervisor in this kind of state. Reluctantly, Greg left Grissom in the toilet and pasted a smile onto his face and went outside to face Ecklie. This was going to need all of his theatrics to pull this one off.
"Hello Conrad."
"Hello Gregory." Greg scowled. Yes Gregory was his name but he hated it. If he could have growled at the older man he would have but he needed to pull this off so that Ecklie would leave.
"You don't need to worry now Warrick found Grissom. He was at the hospital." Greg had got an A+ in Drama class once he just hoped his 'talent' hadn't deserted him.
"Oh right well I still have to see him if that's alright."
"I'm sorry you can't at the moment. He's working with Warrick on a lead at present. Can I take a message for you?"
"No it's alright I'll just get him on his cell." Greg's eyes opened with horror. Damn he hadn't thought of that. He just hoped Grissom's phone was still off like it had been earlier. Thankfully as Ecklie dialled the numbers and waited it seemed that yes it was switched off. Greg silently cheered in his head it looked like he'd be able to pull this off after all.
"If you don't mind I think I'll use the bathroom before I go though." Damn why was Ecklie innocently finding everything that Greg was guiltily trying to hide.
"I do mind actually." Theatrics were his last hope. "The cleaner has only just been in there and I don't think she'd appreciate you mucking up her clean loo. Now if you don't mind use your own loo at home." Greg faked a look of seriousness and as Ecklie looked at Greg half amused half concerned for the mental state of the young man stood before him he started to walk away. Shaking his head he said under his breath just loud enough for Greg to hear, "that kid needs a cat scan."
As soon as Ecklie was out of sight Greg rushed to the toilet huffing a huge sigh of relief. His eyes opened wider at the sight before him as he drew in a sharp gasp of air....................
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Nick held a finger to his lips, motioning silently for Catherine to be quieter. The figure was a couple of metres away and Nick was watching him eagerly. His heart racing he jumped out from behind the bush they'd been hiding behind.
"Freeze!"
The figure jumped in fright and managed to trip over their own feet landing with an enormous thud on the ground. Nick quickly paced over to where the stranger was and realised with horror that the 'stranger' was in fact Brass.
"Brass what the hell are you doing here?" Catherine asked slightly amused at the situation.
"This guy isn't who we need to talk to. But one of his buddies is. Someone was going round the back of the house via the alleyway and I was following them now I've lost them." Brass spat out. Nick hopped over Brass at this point and ran up the alleyway. Catherine reached down quietly and helped to pick the older man up from the concrete. Suddenly something broke the silence between the pair.
It was an unmistakable sound.
Someone had just been shot.
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"Grissom!" What was this guy Houdini? He'd disappeared for the second time in 24 hours. He wasn't in the toilet where Greg had left him and a quick check of the surrounding corridors and rooms had provided Greg with nothing more than concern. Damn it why couldn't that man just do as he was told. As if by magic a thought popped into Greg's head. Warrick was still here. He could help him look for the missing boss.
Making his way down to the car lot where Sara's SUV was being held his eyes strained to focus in the dimly lit room.
"Hello?" He whispered.
"Yeah over here." Someone whispered back.
"Is that you Warrick?" Greg asked spotting a silhouette across from him.
"Who else do you think it is? Has Ecklie gone?"
"Yeah but Grissom's gone missing again."
"No he hasn't."
"Ok explain now Warrick." Switching the lights on and startling Greg, Warrick squinted in the newly formed illuminated room. "You could've warned me there man." Greg rubbed his eyes.
"Sorry, Grissom hasn't disappeared. I retrieved him from the toilets where you left him. I lift weights," Warrick emphasised and pointed at the sleeping supervisor in the corner, "But that was hard work."
Greg heaved a sigh of relief. "I can't thank you enough although now Ecklie thinks I need a cat scan." He put on a mock face of worry and walked over to Grissom. Slapping him lightly on the face he said, "We need to sober you up man."
A voice came from behind the crouched pair. "I wouldn't bother."
I know it was a long chapter but once I started writing I couldn't stop! Please review, as I would really like to hear any of your feedback or ideas. Until next time load of love tinx . =) XX