Chapter 6
Grissom stared at the woman before him, taking in the garish, bottle-red of her hair, the perfectly applied eyeliner and the slightly ragged slash of lipstick on her surprisingly full lips.
Her fingers tapped out an agitated rhythm on the table top next to the cup of coffee she had gulped down hot. Her tongue flicked out briefly like a lizard's, her keen eyes examining Grissom's face.
She was a striking woman, but it was hard to tell whether she was attractive or not. Any natural beauty was hidden by the thick makeup she applied, the vivid colours over-enhancing every feature in an almost clownish way. Gill's thoughts flicked briefly to Jo who he knew was watching him this very minute. He saw her face, devoid of makeup and yet still attractive. He imagined that some might glance over her in a crowd, but those who took the time to stop were amply rewarded. Some women shone because they knew how to enhance beauty, others because beauty was simply a glorious afterthought.
Turning his attention back to the woman in front of him he pushed a photograph forwards.
'Miss Tyler, do you recognise this man?'
Felicity's green eyes flicked form the photo, to Grissom's face and back to the photo once more.
'Nah.' Her voice was a lazy Texan drawl.
'I aint' ever seen that fella before.'
Grissom cocked his head very slightly.
'Are you quite sure?'
Annoyed now, her jaw working in irritation she nodded her head.
'I don't recognise him, alright?'
'Oh come now.' Brass stepped away from his recline on the wall.
'Surely you must have guessed that we already know he is a relation of yours.'
Brass strode casually over to the table, glancing at the file laid out before Gill for effect, as he already knew all he needed.
'James Tyler. Prosecuted in 86' for armed robbery, released on parole in 91'. He's your brother, and only brother at that.'
Felicity Taylor looked away, angry eyes burning into the wall. Shrugging her shoulders in a sharp gesture she turned a set face up to Brass.
'Yeah, so what? He's my brother. Ok. Fine.'
'Why would you lie?' Grissom's voice was low, measured.
Felicity shifted in her chair.
'I thought maybe he was in some kind of trouble. I was covering all my bases.'
Brass took a seat next to Grissom.
'Well he is in a lot of trouble, Miss Taylor. In fact he's dead, but I suspect you already know that.'
He pinned an unwavering gaze on her, and Grissom watched as a muscle twitched at the side of her right eye.
'And considering the blood we found at the crime scene, I would say you too are in a lot of trouble.' Brass pushed forward a piece of paper.
'Exact match. It's yours.'
Confused and wary eyes scanned the paper, and it was obvious to those in the room, and the silent figure watching from the other side of the window, that Felicity had no idea what was mapped out for her there on the page.
'You see,' Grissom began, 'everyone has unique genetic markers, and all these markers are present in every single cell. One cell is all we need to identify someone.' Here he paused watching as the information sank in.
'We found your blood at the scene, and not only can we prove emperically that it is yours, but that you are also a direct, or what we'd call first, relation of James Tyler. Your brother.'
Grissom could almost see the realisation dawning in this woman's eyes, watching as her gaze darted back and forth in a gesture that told him that she was frantically searching for some sort of explanation. But as so many do, she came out empty. Letting out a breath, she squared her bony, birdlike shoulders and fixed defiant eyes on Grissom.
'So what? What's that gonna prove?'
'It proves that you were present when a man was murdered. It also proves that you barely escaped being caught by the officer who was called to the scene.' Grissom kept his level gaze on Felicity's face, watching as the walls behind her eyes began to crumble.
'So why don't you tell us what you were doing there?' Brass' voice had that soft-solid quality only an experienced cop can manage, the kind of tone that says 'I'm your only friend here, but I'll kick your ass if you don't give me something' all said with a smile of course.
Felicity leant back in her chair, closing her eyes. When she opened them again they were burning with fury and raw emotion.
'It was all his fault. James. My stupid brother.' Her eyes blazed as she spoke, but Grissom did not avert his gaze.
'He kept hassling me about Robbie. Robbie wasn't decent, Robbie wasn't a good thief, he wouldn't treat me right. He tried to split us up, tried to cut him out of the deal too.'
'Is Robbie the man apprehended by the police?' Grissom tried to be as tactful as possible, not wanting to aggravate Felicity any more than needed.
'Apprehended?' She mocked in a voice dripping with fury.
'That bitch shot him in cold blood. I heard them fighting as I was running through to the kitchen. I turned back to see her push him away and shoot him. Just shot him where he stood!'
Her hand shook on the table, and Grissom noticed how they balled into angry fists.
'He took too long. Robbie took too long.' This was said mainly to herself.
'Took too long doing what, Felicity?' Brass encouraged.
She closed her eyes once more, her shoulders drooping slightly.
'He's dead now. He won't mind me saying.' Opening her eyes she spoke in a soft, intense voice.
'He took too long with James. We planned to kill him at the scene, take his cut and then we wouldn't have to worry about him being on our backs all the time. Wouldn't have to worry that he would always be in the background trying to split us up.'
She took a breath, her green eyes suddenly drenched in tears as they bored into Grissom's.
'I loved Robbie more than anyone. And that bitch took him away. She took him away.'
*******
Note; next chapter will be the last. It might take me a while to post as I'm back at college this week. But never fear, I wouldn't dream of leaving you hanging. ;)
Grissom stared at the woman before him, taking in the garish, bottle-red of her hair, the perfectly applied eyeliner and the slightly ragged slash of lipstick on her surprisingly full lips.
Her fingers tapped out an agitated rhythm on the table top next to the cup of coffee she had gulped down hot. Her tongue flicked out briefly like a lizard's, her keen eyes examining Grissom's face.
She was a striking woman, but it was hard to tell whether she was attractive or not. Any natural beauty was hidden by the thick makeup she applied, the vivid colours over-enhancing every feature in an almost clownish way. Gill's thoughts flicked briefly to Jo who he knew was watching him this very minute. He saw her face, devoid of makeup and yet still attractive. He imagined that some might glance over her in a crowd, but those who took the time to stop were amply rewarded. Some women shone because they knew how to enhance beauty, others because beauty was simply a glorious afterthought.
Turning his attention back to the woman in front of him he pushed a photograph forwards.
'Miss Tyler, do you recognise this man?'
Felicity's green eyes flicked form the photo, to Grissom's face and back to the photo once more.
'Nah.' Her voice was a lazy Texan drawl.
'I aint' ever seen that fella before.'
Grissom cocked his head very slightly.
'Are you quite sure?'
Annoyed now, her jaw working in irritation she nodded her head.
'I don't recognise him, alright?'
'Oh come now.' Brass stepped away from his recline on the wall.
'Surely you must have guessed that we already know he is a relation of yours.'
Brass strode casually over to the table, glancing at the file laid out before Gill for effect, as he already knew all he needed.
'James Tyler. Prosecuted in 86' for armed robbery, released on parole in 91'. He's your brother, and only brother at that.'
Felicity Taylor looked away, angry eyes burning into the wall. Shrugging her shoulders in a sharp gesture she turned a set face up to Brass.
'Yeah, so what? He's my brother. Ok. Fine.'
'Why would you lie?' Grissom's voice was low, measured.
Felicity shifted in her chair.
'I thought maybe he was in some kind of trouble. I was covering all my bases.'
Brass took a seat next to Grissom.
'Well he is in a lot of trouble, Miss Taylor. In fact he's dead, but I suspect you already know that.'
He pinned an unwavering gaze on her, and Grissom watched as a muscle twitched at the side of her right eye.
'And considering the blood we found at the crime scene, I would say you too are in a lot of trouble.' Brass pushed forward a piece of paper.
'Exact match. It's yours.'
Confused and wary eyes scanned the paper, and it was obvious to those in the room, and the silent figure watching from the other side of the window, that Felicity had no idea what was mapped out for her there on the page.
'You see,' Grissom began, 'everyone has unique genetic markers, and all these markers are present in every single cell. One cell is all we need to identify someone.' Here he paused watching as the information sank in.
'We found your blood at the scene, and not only can we prove emperically that it is yours, but that you are also a direct, or what we'd call first, relation of James Tyler. Your brother.'
Grissom could almost see the realisation dawning in this woman's eyes, watching as her gaze darted back and forth in a gesture that told him that she was frantically searching for some sort of explanation. But as so many do, she came out empty. Letting out a breath, she squared her bony, birdlike shoulders and fixed defiant eyes on Grissom.
'So what? What's that gonna prove?'
'It proves that you were present when a man was murdered. It also proves that you barely escaped being caught by the officer who was called to the scene.' Grissom kept his level gaze on Felicity's face, watching as the walls behind her eyes began to crumble.
'So why don't you tell us what you were doing there?' Brass' voice had that soft-solid quality only an experienced cop can manage, the kind of tone that says 'I'm your only friend here, but I'll kick your ass if you don't give me something' all said with a smile of course.
Felicity leant back in her chair, closing her eyes. When she opened them again they were burning with fury and raw emotion.
'It was all his fault. James. My stupid brother.' Her eyes blazed as she spoke, but Grissom did not avert his gaze.
'He kept hassling me about Robbie. Robbie wasn't decent, Robbie wasn't a good thief, he wouldn't treat me right. He tried to split us up, tried to cut him out of the deal too.'
'Is Robbie the man apprehended by the police?' Grissom tried to be as tactful as possible, not wanting to aggravate Felicity any more than needed.
'Apprehended?' She mocked in a voice dripping with fury.
'That bitch shot him in cold blood. I heard them fighting as I was running through to the kitchen. I turned back to see her push him away and shoot him. Just shot him where he stood!'
Her hand shook on the table, and Grissom noticed how they balled into angry fists.
'He took too long. Robbie took too long.' This was said mainly to herself.
'Took too long doing what, Felicity?' Brass encouraged.
She closed her eyes once more, her shoulders drooping slightly.
'He's dead now. He won't mind me saying.' Opening her eyes she spoke in a soft, intense voice.
'He took too long with James. We planned to kill him at the scene, take his cut and then we wouldn't have to worry about him being on our backs all the time. Wouldn't have to worry that he would always be in the background trying to split us up.'
She took a breath, her green eyes suddenly drenched in tears as they bored into Grissom's.
'I loved Robbie more than anyone. And that bitch took him away. She took him away.'
*******
Note; next chapter will be the last. It might take me a while to post as I'm back at college this week. But never fear, I wouldn't dream of leaving you hanging. ;)