XVIII - BALLISTIC
Warrick was leaning slightly over Catherine's shoulder when Sara stalked into the print lab. Catherine, sitting on a stool, had curved her back towards the younger CSI, almost touching his stomach. If Sara hadn't been so pissed of at Grissom, the sight of such an obvious PSV would have made her grin.
"Got anything on the fingerprints?" she asked instead, scowling as she walked over to Catherine and propping her hip on the table.
Catherine raised an amused eyebrow at her, "Tone it down, Sara. You're too damn chipper."
Sara smirked at her, "Funny Cath. Grissom wants me to observe you and Warrick, so don't give me a hard time okay?"
"He wants you to observe us?" Warrick's voice was slightly incredulous, and he shot an amused glance at Sara. "What did you do to piss him off?"
"Nothing," Sara snapped back. "I have no idea what his problem is, but I'm sick of it. So - find anything?"
"Yeah." Catherine smiled, "Visual match on the fingerprints on the grating and inside the venting and Mr. Miles, night-time concierge and odious little man. He's the inside link. "
"So - we going to talk to him?" Sara asked.
"We? I thought you were ob-ser-ving," Warrick drawled out the last word and grinned when Sara punched him in the arm. "Keep it up and I'll charge you with assault, Sidle."
* * * * *
Brass was talking to O'Reilly when he saw Grissom walking towards him, a slight scowl marring his normally owlish expression. Behind Grissom, Stokes strolled casually - hands in pockets and a big grin creasing his face as he watched his boss' back with amusement. Something was up.
"Marta here yet?" Grissom demanded, in lieu of the preliminary niceties - like a greeting. "I want to talk to her."
"Cool your jets, bugman," Brass replied drolly. "O'Reilly just arrived with her - she's in Interview Room 2 - I was just going to come get you. What's with you today?"
Grissom didn't bother to try to hide his irritation. "Oh - I don't know. Maybe it's the fact I'm the only one that seems to be interested in working the case today. Between the dancing in the breakroom and the discussion about movies and bad TV shows, not a whole lot is getting done. Come with, O'Reilly."
Nick grinned even wider when Grissom stalked down the hallway with the bulky detective in tow. "He's not upset with you, Brass. He's upset with me and Sara. Apparently, we're not allowed to have fun while we work."
Brass smiled back at the younger man, "You and Sidle, eh? No wonder he's acting like someone just stepped on his favorite spider."
"Yeah - but he's the one that told her to get a life, so I don't know why he's so upset. It's not like he owns her or anything."
The two men looked at each other and grinned suddenly. "You trying to stir him up, Stokes? I happen to like Sara - so I hope you're either serious about her or this is all an elaborate ruse to get Grissom going."
Nick shrugged, "Whatever it is, it's working. Wouldn't you agree?"
Brass shook his head, "Just because he looks rational doesn't necessarily mean he is. It's always the ones you least suspect who snap. You going with Grissom?" At Nick's nod, Brass sighed, "Okay. Well, I'm on my way to find Catherine. I have a warrant for her."
"Try the fingerprint lab," Nick replied as he hurried down the hallway after Grissom. "And tell Sara I said to hang tough."
* * * * *
"Jim - just the man I wanted!" Catherine smiled as she and almost collided outside the lab room door.
"Don't say that unless you mean it," Brass replied, smiling. "I got the warrant you wanted for Miles' DNA. I also have the phone company pulling a record of all calls made at 'Complimentary Phone 3' during the time you said Miles was using it. They were going to fax the information over as soon as possible. Judge Steinman is being pretty handy with the warrants today."
"It's easier to get warrants when the victim is a beautiful young woman who happens to be married to one of the richest men in the world," Warrick replied. "Money talks."
"Yeah - well, in this case, it's Mobley and the Mayor. He doesn't like the publicity. Says the murder is too high-profile and bad for Vegas. I think he's been talking to the Mayor again. Hey Sara."
"Brass," Sara nodded curtly.
"Nick told me to tell you to hang tough."
"Really? Does he think he's a New Kid on the Block, now?" Sara griped. Beside her, Warrick snorted.
"You really are little Miss Sunshine today."
"And Grissom's Mr. Grumpy," Brass added. "You know anything about that Sidle?"
Sara just rolled her eyes. "Are we going to stand around gossiping all day, or talk to Miles?"
"Talk to Miles," Catherine responded. "You coming, Brass?"
"Yep. Wouldn't miss this for the world."
* * * * *
Miles twitched when Brass walked into Interview Room 1 room, followed by the others. Nodding to him and his lawyer, Brass sat down and indicated that Catherine should start.
"You care to explain why your fingerprints were on the grating and on the inside of the air exchange venting?"
"They...they are?" Miles cleared his throat nervously, "I must have accepted the shipment of the new grating when it arrived."
"It's not new,'' Warrick retorted. "We spoke with Mr. Powers and he told us that since the grating doesn't need to be replaced that often, no new ones had been ordered."
"And even if it had been ordered since Audra van der Brucke's murder," Sara added, "it would take longer than 24 hours for you to receive it."
Miles swallowed thickly and look at his lawyer, "It must be an extra we ordered with the original grates."
Brass smiled, "Keep digging, Mr. Miles. Again, Mr. Powers confirmed for us that no extra grating was ordered with the original shipment. Care to lie about your fingerprints inside the air venting as well?"
"I'd advise you not to say anything, Malcolm," Miles lawyer inserted. "Leave it and see how you fair in the indictment. Fingerprints alone aren't enough."
"No," Catherine inserted silkily, "but I'm sure when your DNA comes back a match to the epithelials we discovered on some male hair shafts found in the air exchange system, that will be enough." She grinned when Miles dropped his gaze to his hands, "By the way, Brass here has a warrant for your DNA. We'll swab in a second."
"You have a sister, Mr. Miles?" Brass asked conversationally.
Miles blanched, "No."
"'Cuz the female hair we found in the venting is a sibling match for the male hair. You might have gathered we're reasonably confident you're the inside link to the heist. So, you would have to know who our pancake is - the silent partner, so to speak."
"Silent only because he's dead," Sara snorted. "Did you know Audra van der Brucke was going to die, or was she just collateral damage?"
Miles was shaking his head, "I didn't.I wasn't..I don't."
"Who were you talking to when Catherine and I were in your office earlier?" Warrick interrupted. "On the Complimentary Hotel phone?"
"No one."
Catherine sighed, "We're pulling the phone records for that time frame. Since you were on the phone for twenty minutes, it won't be hard. We'll find out."
Miles slumped his shoulders, "I wasn't involved."
"Sure you weren't," Brass agreed, "We'll leave you alone with your lawyer and let you try to come up with a couple of more reasonable answers to your fingerprints. And I would suggest you start testing plausible theories for the DNA match we're going to get." He looked to Warrick, who had walked around the side of the table, snapping on his latex gloves and carefully removing a swab from its protective casing.
"Open."
* * * * *
"Willem is mistaken," Marta stated, smiling at Grissom. "I wasn't meeting Audra - I already told you that."
"Do you have any idea who else she might have known in Vegas?" Nick asked, watching her intently. "Mr. van der Brucke said you were one of her best friends."
Marta widened her eyes dramatically, and Nick could practically see her willing the tears forward, "I loved her like a sister," she agreed, "but she didn't tell me who she was having an affair with."
"You sound sure she was having an affair," Grissom retorted calmly.
Marta shrugged, "It's the only explanation." Smiling flirtatiously at Nick, she leaned forward slightly, "I mean - do you think a woman in her 20s could be satisfied with a lover the same age as her father? I don't."
Nick quickly tamped down his reflex to gag, "But if you were so close, wouldn't you know for sure?"
Another dainty shrug, "Audra didn't tell me everything. Now - may I go? I have a hair appointment in 45 minutes, and I don't want to be late. Stephan is very hard to book - but he's a genius with color!"
Nick shot Grissom a look, before turning back to Marta and dialing up the charm, "You mean that's not your natural color? Because it looks natural!"
Marta preened, "I'm actually a mouse-blond, but Stefan says the dark mink is much more dramatic and suiting my fiery nature."
"I bet you'd be stunning as a red-head too," Nick agreed. "Have you ever gone auburn?"
"Yes - I liked it, but I prefer this. Stefan was saying that today he's going to highlight, and re-introduce some of the red tones."
"My sister has been looking for a good colorist," Nick noted, conversationally, "What salon does Stefan work at? Maybe I should tell her to call him."
Marta trilled a laugh, "If she can afford him - he charges $250 just for the initially consultation."
Nick laughed himself, and winked at Marta conspiratorially, "She would say, 'That's what husbands are for!'"
"A girl after my own heart," Marta laughed. Reaching into her small clutch, she retrieved an appointment card. "I don't need this anymore. Stefan is at 'Chez Cheveaux' - co-owner. Tell her to make sure to mention me when she calls!"
Nick smiled and retrieved the card, keeping his gaze carefully flirtatious as Marta ran an index finger across his palm when she handed it to him, "I sure will, Marta. You don't know how much I appreciate this."
* * * * *
Grissom was irritated. Scratch that - he was beyond irritated. He was pissed off. Royally. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry. He watched in amazement as Nick courteously held the door open for Marta to walk through, Texas-charm turned on full-throttle, "I'm sure we'll talk again," he murmured.
"I'm sure we will," Marta replied, before she disappeared in a waft of some expensive perfume and pheromones.
Nick turned to Grissom and grinned, "Well. That was interesting."
Grissom glared at him. "My office - now. Thanks O'Reilly." Heading quickly towards his office, he didn't even bother to see if Nick was following him. If the younger man knew what was good for him, he would be. Walking quickly to his desk, he turned just in time to see Nick closing his office door. The younger man looked honestly befuddled, and his guileless expression ratcheted Grissom's anger up another notch.
"What the hell was that?"
"What the hell was what?" Nick responded calmly.
"That. The flirting with Marta. Don't you think it's a little unprofessional?"
Nick felt his jaw drop, "Unprofessional? What are you talking about?"
"'You're hair looks so natural,'" Grissom replied, "'Have you ever thought of going red?' What would Sara say?"
"She'd probably say 'Good job!'" Nick retorted. "What the hell are you talking about, Grissom?"
"Sara would like you flirting with another woman? I swear to God, Nick - if you hurt her, I'll - I'll -"
Nick grinned suddenly. "Oh - I get it now. You think I was flirting with her. God, Grissom - give me some credit. I was getting some useful information."
"For your sister in Texas!" Grissom sneered, "Or maybe it's for some other girl you have on the side, ladies-man."
Nick felt an answering spark of anger, "Are you trying to provoke a fight, Grissom, or are you going to listen to me?"
"What could you possibly say that could explain why you were flirting with Marta when you're seeing Sara?" Grissom roared back. Out in the hallway, Sara, Catherine, Warrick and Brass froze as they walked by Grissom's office. Three heads turned to look at Sara, who shifted uncomfortably.
Nick's response was stronger than before, "Will you stop treating me like I'm some kid who doesn't know shit? I was working the case." Nick's accent had gotten stronger, his voice a little harder, "And I would never do anything to hurt Sara. If you'll stop jumping to conclusions and acting like a jealous suitor perhaps you'll learn something from me for a change!"
"That would be a first," Grissom's voice was loud, and deadly cold. Out in the hallway, everyone flinched. For a few seconds, no one spoke - neither inside or outside Grissom's office. And then, Nick's voice.
"Fine, Grissom. Whatever. I'm sick of trying to earn respect from you, because obviously I'm never going to get it. You want to jump to conclusions, you go right ahead. You have no idea what's going on between Sara and I - so, think what you want. I'm going to go talk to Catherine and tell her my theory. At least I know she thinks I'm partway intelligent. And then I'm clocking out. I'll be at my place when you're ready to talk about this like a rational human being. And I expect an apology."
It was too late for the four people standing in the hallway to scatter. Nick spotted them immediately upon opening the door. Smiling grimly at his friends, he handed Catherine the appointment card Marta had given him. "Marta Fitzroy has her hair colored at this place by Stefan. Her original color is blond. She's been a red-head in the past. Current color is brunette. She's very petite - I'd say smaller than you Cath. I think we should see if she's related to Miles. I think the female eptihelials found in the venting might belong to her."
"Nick -" Catherine began, but he shook his head.
"Just let me know if this pans out." Turning to Sara, he smiled at her, a genuine smile. Leaning into her, he whispered in her ear, "I think it's safe to say he's jealous."
"Nick -" Sara gave him a quick hug, at a loss for words.
"It's alright, Sara. It's been a long time coming. I won't let Grissom scare me away. I just can't be around him right now - I'll say something I'll really regret."
Nodding brusquely at Warrick and Brass, he turned and headed down the hallway, "Catch you later."
The four of them watched him leave, before turning to look at Grissom's office. He was sitting at his desk, face inscrutable, looking out into the hallway at them. "Are we working here, or having a coffee break?" he muttered at them. Catherine looked at him coolly, before turning and heading to the break room, followed by Warrick and Brass.
Sara remained in the hallway, alternately looking at the doors Nick had just left through, and at Grissom. When Grissom cocked his eyebrow at her, in his patented "Well?" expression, she snapped.
Without even asking, she strode into his office and slammed his door. "Nice work, Grissom. Really smooth. I never suspected you had it in you to be such an ass."
______________________________
Author's Note:
Sorry for the long wait between posts. I am still having problems with a particular virus that seems to have glommed on to this particular file and corrupted it. Hopefully, it's fixed now. Anyway, hope the wait was worth it - I honestly do think that under the right set of circs. Grissom has potential to go ballistic. This is just my way of doing it. Please R&R - let me know what you think!
Warrick was leaning slightly over Catherine's shoulder when Sara stalked into the print lab. Catherine, sitting on a stool, had curved her back towards the younger CSI, almost touching his stomach. If Sara hadn't been so pissed of at Grissom, the sight of such an obvious PSV would have made her grin.
"Got anything on the fingerprints?" she asked instead, scowling as she walked over to Catherine and propping her hip on the table.
Catherine raised an amused eyebrow at her, "Tone it down, Sara. You're too damn chipper."
Sara smirked at her, "Funny Cath. Grissom wants me to observe you and Warrick, so don't give me a hard time okay?"
"He wants you to observe us?" Warrick's voice was slightly incredulous, and he shot an amused glance at Sara. "What did you do to piss him off?"
"Nothing," Sara snapped back. "I have no idea what his problem is, but I'm sick of it. So - find anything?"
"Yeah." Catherine smiled, "Visual match on the fingerprints on the grating and inside the venting and Mr. Miles, night-time concierge and odious little man. He's the inside link. "
"So - we going to talk to him?" Sara asked.
"We? I thought you were ob-ser-ving," Warrick drawled out the last word and grinned when Sara punched him in the arm. "Keep it up and I'll charge you with assault, Sidle."
* * * * *
Brass was talking to O'Reilly when he saw Grissom walking towards him, a slight scowl marring his normally owlish expression. Behind Grissom, Stokes strolled casually - hands in pockets and a big grin creasing his face as he watched his boss' back with amusement. Something was up.
"Marta here yet?" Grissom demanded, in lieu of the preliminary niceties - like a greeting. "I want to talk to her."
"Cool your jets, bugman," Brass replied drolly. "O'Reilly just arrived with her - she's in Interview Room 2 - I was just going to come get you. What's with you today?"
Grissom didn't bother to try to hide his irritation. "Oh - I don't know. Maybe it's the fact I'm the only one that seems to be interested in working the case today. Between the dancing in the breakroom and the discussion about movies and bad TV shows, not a whole lot is getting done. Come with, O'Reilly."
Nick grinned even wider when Grissom stalked down the hallway with the bulky detective in tow. "He's not upset with you, Brass. He's upset with me and Sara. Apparently, we're not allowed to have fun while we work."
Brass smiled back at the younger man, "You and Sidle, eh? No wonder he's acting like someone just stepped on his favorite spider."
"Yeah - but he's the one that told her to get a life, so I don't know why he's so upset. It's not like he owns her or anything."
The two men looked at each other and grinned suddenly. "You trying to stir him up, Stokes? I happen to like Sara - so I hope you're either serious about her or this is all an elaborate ruse to get Grissom going."
Nick shrugged, "Whatever it is, it's working. Wouldn't you agree?"
Brass shook his head, "Just because he looks rational doesn't necessarily mean he is. It's always the ones you least suspect who snap. You going with Grissom?" At Nick's nod, Brass sighed, "Okay. Well, I'm on my way to find Catherine. I have a warrant for her."
"Try the fingerprint lab," Nick replied as he hurried down the hallway after Grissom. "And tell Sara I said to hang tough."
* * * * *
"Jim - just the man I wanted!" Catherine smiled as she and almost collided outside the lab room door.
"Don't say that unless you mean it," Brass replied, smiling. "I got the warrant you wanted for Miles' DNA. I also have the phone company pulling a record of all calls made at 'Complimentary Phone 3' during the time you said Miles was using it. They were going to fax the information over as soon as possible. Judge Steinman is being pretty handy with the warrants today."
"It's easier to get warrants when the victim is a beautiful young woman who happens to be married to one of the richest men in the world," Warrick replied. "Money talks."
"Yeah - well, in this case, it's Mobley and the Mayor. He doesn't like the publicity. Says the murder is too high-profile and bad for Vegas. I think he's been talking to the Mayor again. Hey Sara."
"Brass," Sara nodded curtly.
"Nick told me to tell you to hang tough."
"Really? Does he think he's a New Kid on the Block, now?" Sara griped. Beside her, Warrick snorted.
"You really are little Miss Sunshine today."
"And Grissom's Mr. Grumpy," Brass added. "You know anything about that Sidle?"
Sara just rolled her eyes. "Are we going to stand around gossiping all day, or talk to Miles?"
"Talk to Miles," Catherine responded. "You coming, Brass?"
"Yep. Wouldn't miss this for the world."
* * * * *
Miles twitched when Brass walked into Interview Room 1 room, followed by the others. Nodding to him and his lawyer, Brass sat down and indicated that Catherine should start.
"You care to explain why your fingerprints were on the grating and on the inside of the air exchange venting?"
"They...they are?" Miles cleared his throat nervously, "I must have accepted the shipment of the new grating when it arrived."
"It's not new,'' Warrick retorted. "We spoke with Mr. Powers and he told us that since the grating doesn't need to be replaced that often, no new ones had been ordered."
"And even if it had been ordered since Audra van der Brucke's murder," Sara added, "it would take longer than 24 hours for you to receive it."
Miles swallowed thickly and look at his lawyer, "It must be an extra we ordered with the original grates."
Brass smiled, "Keep digging, Mr. Miles. Again, Mr. Powers confirmed for us that no extra grating was ordered with the original shipment. Care to lie about your fingerprints inside the air venting as well?"
"I'd advise you not to say anything, Malcolm," Miles lawyer inserted. "Leave it and see how you fair in the indictment. Fingerprints alone aren't enough."
"No," Catherine inserted silkily, "but I'm sure when your DNA comes back a match to the epithelials we discovered on some male hair shafts found in the air exchange system, that will be enough." She grinned when Miles dropped his gaze to his hands, "By the way, Brass here has a warrant for your DNA. We'll swab in a second."
"You have a sister, Mr. Miles?" Brass asked conversationally.
Miles blanched, "No."
"'Cuz the female hair we found in the venting is a sibling match for the male hair. You might have gathered we're reasonably confident you're the inside link to the heist. So, you would have to know who our pancake is - the silent partner, so to speak."
"Silent only because he's dead," Sara snorted. "Did you know Audra van der Brucke was going to die, or was she just collateral damage?"
Miles was shaking his head, "I didn't.I wasn't..I don't."
"Who were you talking to when Catherine and I were in your office earlier?" Warrick interrupted. "On the Complimentary Hotel phone?"
"No one."
Catherine sighed, "We're pulling the phone records for that time frame. Since you were on the phone for twenty minutes, it won't be hard. We'll find out."
Miles slumped his shoulders, "I wasn't involved."
"Sure you weren't," Brass agreed, "We'll leave you alone with your lawyer and let you try to come up with a couple of more reasonable answers to your fingerprints. And I would suggest you start testing plausible theories for the DNA match we're going to get." He looked to Warrick, who had walked around the side of the table, snapping on his latex gloves and carefully removing a swab from its protective casing.
"Open."
* * * * *
"Willem is mistaken," Marta stated, smiling at Grissom. "I wasn't meeting Audra - I already told you that."
"Do you have any idea who else she might have known in Vegas?" Nick asked, watching her intently. "Mr. van der Brucke said you were one of her best friends."
Marta widened her eyes dramatically, and Nick could practically see her willing the tears forward, "I loved her like a sister," she agreed, "but she didn't tell me who she was having an affair with."
"You sound sure she was having an affair," Grissom retorted calmly.
Marta shrugged, "It's the only explanation." Smiling flirtatiously at Nick, she leaned forward slightly, "I mean - do you think a woman in her 20s could be satisfied with a lover the same age as her father? I don't."
Nick quickly tamped down his reflex to gag, "But if you were so close, wouldn't you know for sure?"
Another dainty shrug, "Audra didn't tell me everything. Now - may I go? I have a hair appointment in 45 minutes, and I don't want to be late. Stephan is very hard to book - but he's a genius with color!"
Nick shot Grissom a look, before turning back to Marta and dialing up the charm, "You mean that's not your natural color? Because it looks natural!"
Marta preened, "I'm actually a mouse-blond, but Stefan says the dark mink is much more dramatic and suiting my fiery nature."
"I bet you'd be stunning as a red-head too," Nick agreed. "Have you ever gone auburn?"
"Yes - I liked it, but I prefer this. Stefan was saying that today he's going to highlight, and re-introduce some of the red tones."
"My sister has been looking for a good colorist," Nick noted, conversationally, "What salon does Stefan work at? Maybe I should tell her to call him."
Marta trilled a laugh, "If she can afford him - he charges $250 just for the initially consultation."
Nick laughed himself, and winked at Marta conspiratorially, "She would say, 'That's what husbands are for!'"
"A girl after my own heart," Marta laughed. Reaching into her small clutch, she retrieved an appointment card. "I don't need this anymore. Stefan is at 'Chez Cheveaux' - co-owner. Tell her to make sure to mention me when she calls!"
Nick smiled and retrieved the card, keeping his gaze carefully flirtatious as Marta ran an index finger across his palm when she handed it to him, "I sure will, Marta. You don't know how much I appreciate this."
* * * * *
Grissom was irritated. Scratch that - he was beyond irritated. He was pissed off. Royally. He couldn't remember the last time he had been so angry. He watched in amazement as Nick courteously held the door open for Marta to walk through, Texas-charm turned on full-throttle, "I'm sure we'll talk again," he murmured.
"I'm sure we will," Marta replied, before she disappeared in a waft of some expensive perfume and pheromones.
Nick turned to Grissom and grinned, "Well. That was interesting."
Grissom glared at him. "My office - now. Thanks O'Reilly." Heading quickly towards his office, he didn't even bother to see if Nick was following him. If the younger man knew what was good for him, he would be. Walking quickly to his desk, he turned just in time to see Nick closing his office door. The younger man looked honestly befuddled, and his guileless expression ratcheted Grissom's anger up another notch.
"What the hell was that?"
"What the hell was what?" Nick responded calmly.
"That. The flirting with Marta. Don't you think it's a little unprofessional?"
Nick felt his jaw drop, "Unprofessional? What are you talking about?"
"'You're hair looks so natural,'" Grissom replied, "'Have you ever thought of going red?' What would Sara say?"
"She'd probably say 'Good job!'" Nick retorted. "What the hell are you talking about, Grissom?"
"Sara would like you flirting with another woman? I swear to God, Nick - if you hurt her, I'll - I'll -"
Nick grinned suddenly. "Oh - I get it now. You think I was flirting with her. God, Grissom - give me some credit. I was getting some useful information."
"For your sister in Texas!" Grissom sneered, "Or maybe it's for some other girl you have on the side, ladies-man."
Nick felt an answering spark of anger, "Are you trying to provoke a fight, Grissom, or are you going to listen to me?"
"What could you possibly say that could explain why you were flirting with Marta when you're seeing Sara?" Grissom roared back. Out in the hallway, Sara, Catherine, Warrick and Brass froze as they walked by Grissom's office. Three heads turned to look at Sara, who shifted uncomfortably.
Nick's response was stronger than before, "Will you stop treating me like I'm some kid who doesn't know shit? I was working the case." Nick's accent had gotten stronger, his voice a little harder, "And I would never do anything to hurt Sara. If you'll stop jumping to conclusions and acting like a jealous suitor perhaps you'll learn something from me for a change!"
"That would be a first," Grissom's voice was loud, and deadly cold. Out in the hallway, everyone flinched. For a few seconds, no one spoke - neither inside or outside Grissom's office. And then, Nick's voice.
"Fine, Grissom. Whatever. I'm sick of trying to earn respect from you, because obviously I'm never going to get it. You want to jump to conclusions, you go right ahead. You have no idea what's going on between Sara and I - so, think what you want. I'm going to go talk to Catherine and tell her my theory. At least I know she thinks I'm partway intelligent. And then I'm clocking out. I'll be at my place when you're ready to talk about this like a rational human being. And I expect an apology."
It was too late for the four people standing in the hallway to scatter. Nick spotted them immediately upon opening the door. Smiling grimly at his friends, he handed Catherine the appointment card Marta had given him. "Marta Fitzroy has her hair colored at this place by Stefan. Her original color is blond. She's been a red-head in the past. Current color is brunette. She's very petite - I'd say smaller than you Cath. I think we should see if she's related to Miles. I think the female eptihelials found in the venting might belong to her."
"Nick -" Catherine began, but he shook his head.
"Just let me know if this pans out." Turning to Sara, he smiled at her, a genuine smile. Leaning into her, he whispered in her ear, "I think it's safe to say he's jealous."
"Nick -" Sara gave him a quick hug, at a loss for words.
"It's alright, Sara. It's been a long time coming. I won't let Grissom scare me away. I just can't be around him right now - I'll say something I'll really regret."
Nodding brusquely at Warrick and Brass, he turned and headed down the hallway, "Catch you later."
The four of them watched him leave, before turning to look at Grissom's office. He was sitting at his desk, face inscrutable, looking out into the hallway at them. "Are we working here, or having a coffee break?" he muttered at them. Catherine looked at him coolly, before turning and heading to the break room, followed by Warrick and Brass.
Sara remained in the hallway, alternately looking at the doors Nick had just left through, and at Grissom. When Grissom cocked his eyebrow at her, in his patented "Well?" expression, she snapped.
Without even asking, she strode into his office and slammed his door. "Nice work, Grissom. Really smooth. I never suspected you had it in you to be such an ass."
______________________________
Author's Note:
Sorry for the long wait between posts. I am still having problems with a particular virus that seems to have glommed on to this particular file and corrupted it. Hopefully, it's fixed now. Anyway, hope the wait was worth it - I honestly do think that under the right set of circs. Grissom has potential to go ballistic. This is just my way of doing it. Please R&R - let me know what you think!