Chapter 5: Friendly Advice From an Unlikely Source
Grissom picked Sara up at nine o'clock on the dot. After making her appointments to see another doctor for checkups he dropped her off at home. She got settled and he went to work. Not a word was said. Sara wasn't ready to talk about her attack and Grissom wasn't sure how to approach her. They have only been dating, nothing serious, so he didn't feel like she owed him anything. Sara called her parents to let them know what happened. For one hour she was scolded for not calling sooner then for twenty minutes she was drowned in 'I love you'. She was going to lay down for awhile when she received a call from Ecklie to come in shortly to answer some more questions. She thought she answered enough of his questions in the hospital. After all she was ready to put this behind her. The sooner it was out of her mind she could go back to the way things were. That was her plan anyway.
Sara walked down the cold hallway to Ecklie's office. She lightly knocked on his office door. There was a mumbled 'come in' and Sara pushed through the door.
The office was boring. That was the only way to describe it. Grissom's office was full of specimens, forensic books, more bugs, and various jars of only God knows what. Ecklie's office was paper. It was just paper, stacks of them everywhere. It was in some type of order but it was too cluttered for Sara's liking. Ecklie stood up and held out a hand finally separating him from the paperwork. "Miss Sidle, how are you?"
"I've been better." She said honestly taking his hand. 'Strange,' she thought. 'His hands are cold. Grissom's hands are warm.'
"I know you already briefed me on the attack but I have some other questions."
"Okay."
"Please have a seat." He motioned to a chair in front of his desk. Sara slowly sat down. Even the chair was boring and not to mention hard as a brick. Not like Grissom's chair that was comfy enough to sit for hours in and really talk. "I hope I didn't interrupt your day off."
"No."
He took note of her tone. Ecklie knew that the pleasantries were wasted on Sara. He tried that at the hospital. He put on his game face and started. "There was a heated argument between you and Grissom before you left to go solo on the robbery. Is that right?"
"Yes."
"Was your judgment impaired?"
"Excuse me?" She was surprised by his forwardness.
"You were pulling a double, not to mention you were working overtime on the last case. Then Mr. Grissom and you were fighting. Was your judgment impaired? It's a fair question Miss Sidle."
She suddenly started to get angry. "We weren't fighting. We were having a conversation."
"Is it normal to punctuate your sentences with exclamation points?" He smiled but it wasn't returned.
"What are you getting at?"
He leaned forward and put his elbows on his desk. "Warrick Brown told me that you were quite upset after you left Mr. Grissom's office. He also mentioned that you wanted to be alone and were going to take the burglary case solo. Is that true?"
"Yes but..."
"But what?" He cut her off.
"But..."
Ecklie drew in a sharp breath. "Mr. Grissom brought you here, to Las Vegas, to investigate Warrick Brown. He is reported to have said that he trusted you."
"Yes." She said carefully. She didn't know where this was going. He was what Sara called 'question jumping'. It was a technique for interrogating suspects. You jump quickly from one short question to another to rattle the suspect's cage and find holes in their story. That is exactly what Sara felt like; a suspect.
"If he trusted you why did he ignore your reports and recommendations to dismiss Warrick Brown?"
"He felt that Warrick needed a second chance."
"Do you think he needed a second chance?"
Sara rubbed the painful spot on her temples. "My head hurts, so just get to what you really want to know."
"Fair enough. Do you think Grissom did the right thing by reinstating Warrick Brown?"
"At the time no, but..."
"And now?"
"Yes. I understand why he did it."
"Why did Grissom come to see you?"
Another jump. "I don't know."
"Has he ever checked on you before?"
"I usually work with someone else so there is no need."
"Why is that? You are very capable of working solo."
Another jump. "I don't know."
"Miss Sidle it seems to me that you do not know a lot of things."
"It seems to me Mr. Ecklie that you do not know what you're talking about." The room grew painstakingly quiet before Ecklie spoke.
"Was your judgment impaired by any reason when you were attacked?" He hissed.
Another jump this time asking an earlier question. Sara stayed calm and thought back. Her mind wasn't preoccupied. Was it? It's all a blur but she was sure she was focused on the case and nothing else. Yes she was sure. She was dusting the banister and thinking about printing the back door. Positive. "No." She finally replied.
"I have all I need for now. You can go home." He stood up. "Get some rest. I'll call if I need you again."
She slowly made her way to the door and out to her car. There was something very wrong with that rushed interview. She couldn't wait until she could see Grissom after shift to talk to him. He was always the rock in her life. He could calm her down.
~ * ~
"Gil I need to talk to you." Conrad Ecklie stood at the doorway to the lab where Grissom was bent over a microscope.
"About?" He said not taking his eyes off the slide.
"Sara Sidle's case. I have a few questions for you."
"I am very busy." He called back. Whatever Ecklie had to say Brass had already told him. Grissom was still angry that Ecklie questioned Sara while she was still in the hospital. He wasn't about to forget that.
"It will have to wait." Ecklie hissed.
"I gave Brass my statement."
"Fully aware. I have it right here, but its procedure to ask my questions if I have them."
"Fine." Grissom removed his glasses. "What?"
"In my office." Ecklie left Grissom to follow to the office. Grissom just watched with eyebrow raised as Ecklie disappeared from sight. Why can't he just question him here? Curiosity got the better of him and he followed. Grissom had been in Ecklie's office before and felt suffocated. All the paper and files were daunting. Ecklie rounded his desk and motioned for Grissom to sit down.
"What's this really about?" Grissom asked still standing.
Ecklie wasn't surprised that Grissom went straight to the point. "Sara Sidle. I need to know why you decided to go out there."
"To check on her." He answered flatly.
He busied himself with tidying up his desk. "She didn't have her phone on?"
"I didn't try the phone."
Ecklie raised his head almost as if he were shocked. "Why?"
"I was in the neighborhood."
"Weren't you working a case with Catherine?"
"Yes. She went back to the lab with Brass and I was en route to follow after I finished."
"But you drove to see Miss Sidle, not to the lab."
Grissom's anger was rising. "She was working solo on a robbery. I wanted to make sure she was okay."
"And a call wasn't enough?"
"There is a lot you cannot detect by a phone call. She could have been held hostage and unable to tell me if something was wrong. Attacks on CSI's have happened before."
"And your argument with her earlier that day did not affect anything?"
His eyes flashed with anger. "That argument was between me and Sara."
"That argument was about what exactly?"
"Where are you going with this Conrad?"
"Answer the question Gil. It's in your best interest if I hear it from you."
Grissom swallowed hard. He didn't want to get Sara in trouble so he tried to be vague. "It was about her work habits."
"Yes. I understand she was working overtime on her last case. I asked around and it's not unusual for Miss Sidle to get involved in a case. Sometimes ignoring sleep and food. Is that how you would characterize her?"
"Sara is sometimes so anxious to catch the bad guys that she forgets to take care of herself." He worded it carefully. "She is one of the best we got."
"When exactly was the last time she slept?"
"I don't know." He was starting to question jump; classic. Grissom wanted to shake his head in dismay. He couldn't believe Ecklie was trying this on him. He wondered if it was involuntary but didn't like it. He felt like a suspect.
"Well I do. It took three days to complete that case and Sara got a total of nine hours of sleep total. Why didn't you pull her?"
Grissom was confused. He thought these questions were an attack on Sara, now it was on him. Ecklie was up to something. "I tried to send her home."
"But she didn't listen and you let her go solo. Are you not the supervisor Gil? Your command should override hers."
"Sara can be stubborn."
Ecklie swiveled in his chair. "So I have also heard. All the yelling you did and it didn't help?"
"What?"
"The yelling. Sara was very upset with you; I believe her judgment was clouded by the fight and her exhaustion."
"It wasn't a fight Conrad and don't tell me how to treat my CSI's." Grissom snapped.
"It seems you need help Gil. Shouting at your subordinates is not the proper way to handle anything. And one thing is for sure you don't know what's best for them."
Grissom was frustrated at why this was going any further. If Sara was cleared, why was Ecklie badgering him? "What is this really about?"
Ecklie stood up from his seated position. "You're not cut out for this job. First you reinstate Warrick Brown. Because of that screw up, Catherine was attacked at a scene because he wasn't with her. You think he would learn the consequences after Holly. Then Nick almost gets shot because you left him at a scene, granted you came back but what if you didn't? And now Sidle and her work habits. If you would have pulled her, Officer Tally might still be alive. You got there in time again for Sidle but this time not for Tally. She was exhausted and distracted by you Gil. Now she has a deep cut on her wrist and an officer is dead. You could have killed her, your own team member. You don't know how to lead a group. You need to make decisions for the people of Las Vegas to protect them from your CSI's instead of the other way around."
Grissom was beyond rational thinking. Ecklie was twisting every situation to blame him. It was bad enough that the thought did enter Grissom's head that he might be responsible. Sara could really be dead because of him. Grissom quickly rushed to the front of his desk and Ecklie jumped back. He would have smiled at Ecklie's sudden fear of him, but he was too pissed. "Back off Ecklie."
"You know what Gil. I don't have a beef with you. I could give a shit less how you play Russian Roulette with your career politically, but when CSI's start getting hurt because of you it pisses me off. Sara Sidle, Catherine Willows, Holly Gribbs, Nick Stokes all suffered the consequences of your poor judgment. What the hell are you doing over there?"
"Are you out to get me or something?"
"No. I don't like you, that is true but it has nothing to do with us. It has to do with your ability to lead. I am not the only one that thinks so Gil. If anyone, it's been me that has been trying to save your ass. Your work is remarkable and you are a damn good CSI. You are good for this crime lab but I don't think that you have what it takes to be a supervisor." He paused. "Gil if this case sends up flags and they bring in Preston McFadden, he will persecute you."
"So what is this, a head's up?" Grissom shot back.
"I will file my report that Sidle was preoccupied but there is nothing that could have been done to save Tally's life. I will mention that she was brutally attacked and it was very fortunate that you show up when you did. That's what is in my report. If Preston is called in, I hope you have better answers than 'I don't know' and 'I was just in the neighborhood'."
"Do you expect a thank you?"
"No. I expect you to start taking a hard look at how you handle things."
There was a knock on the door. "Sorry to interrupt but Mrs. Willows needs you Mr. Grissom. It is something about your case."
Grissom turned. "Thank you Judy." He followed her out without another word to Ecklie, as a sharp ache in his temples began to throb.
tbc...