"Dr. Grissom, I just would like to start with some simple questions. I will be taping our conversation for filing reasons only."
He nodded. He was calm and in control like always. Grissom was good at keeping things at a distance and this was going to be no different. He would approach it with reasoning and a critical eye. "Of course." He replied in an even tone.
Preston laid a legal pad on the table and unbuttoned his suit blazer. "Well then let's start. How long have you been working in the Vegas Crime Lab?"
"A little over fifteen years."
"Wow, that is very impressive." Preston flipped through Grissom's file. "In fact your entire record is remarkable."
"I love my work." Grissom explained simply.
Preston gave a cocky smile. "But when you became supervisor you didn't want the job."
"Not initially."
"Why?"
"I hate paperwork. I am a scientist, not a pencil pusher."
Preston chuckled. "Good answer." Grissom did not even crack a smile so Preston cleared his throat and moved on. "Well what about now; do you like your position?"
"Yes. I take pride in our ability to solve crimes. I have a good crew."
"Um." He scribbled a note. "So you would like to keep this position?"
"Yes."
"Do you feel in any way responsible for the attack of Sara Sidle?"
Grissom flinched but did not waver. "It wasn't preventable. Jarod Morse needed revenge. I am grateful that I reached them in time to prevent Sara's murder. If it was any more preventable then I would be the first to do so."
"And Holly Gribbs?"
"An unfortunate accident. We all blamed ourselves for her death."
"But it happened because just one of your CSI's was gambling instead of clearing a crime scene. I believe that's why CSI Sidle was brought to Vegas."
Grissom remembered the call he gave Sara. She sounded just as wonderful as she did before. He began to lose contact with her over the years and didn't know if she would stay even if he asked. But she did stay and he couldn't be happier. He stared at Preston for a moment before he spoke. "Warrick Brown is successfully fighting his addiction."
"Why did you reinstate him?"
"I lost one good CSI and didn't want to lose another."
There was another scribble. "Are you aware that CSI Willows was also attacked at a crime scene with CSI Brown?"
"Yes I was informed of that instance, but it was the officer that left her, not Brown. He was stuck in traffic I believe. People forget that just because we are the criminalists and not cops that we should be fine at a crime scene. They are wrong. It's a proven statistic that most attacks are done after the crime and it's the investigators that get attacked, not the police."
"I'll have to look that up."
"I'll get you a copy." Grissom shot back.
"So when Gribbs was killed, you called in Sidle."
"Yes."
"What's your relationship to her?"
"Now or then?"
"Has it changed?"
Grissom swallowed. "All relationships progress Mr. McFadden."
"So enlighten me." He was getting tired of Grissom's answers. Afterall Preston wasn't the bad guy; yet.
"Before Sara came to work for me, she was a student. Now we are close friends and I have the utmost respect for her abilities as a CSI."
"Is she is your student now?"
"No. Sara is fully capable now and does not need me."
"She needed you that day." Preston watched Grissom throw spears with his eyes. "Why did you go to see her if she was capable of going solo?"
"Like you mentioned, attacks have happened before. I wanted to check on her." Grissom cleared his throat. "And to apologize for yelling at her."
"So you were sorry for your fight."
"We both were on edge with the cases we were working."
His pen found its way to his mouth. "Which brings us to why you didn't pull her. Why is it Mr. Grissom that you choose to let Sidle pull a double despite being on "edge" as you put it?"
"She has pulled doubles before." He replied.
"Even doubles on another double? It seems odd." He leaned forward. "Thinking out loud, either you had no idea that she was running on the brink of exhaustion, which dictates neglect, or you didn't pull her because you didn't care, also pointing to neglect. Which is it?"
"Neither."
He sat back. "Your entire fight was because you didn't approve of her work ethic. You had to know that she was running on empty. Why didn't you pull her?" He repeated.
"I know what empty is for Sara and if she can fight with me, then she is not on empty." It sounded hollow in his own ears, yet he believed it. He wanted to believe it.
Preston scribbled something down then looked up. "Did you apologize?"
"Yes."
"Someone told me that she can be a handful."
A flash came when she picked a fight with Shelton for the murder of his wife. "Then you asked the wrong person."
"She is stubborn."
"She is persistent. We need more CSI's like her."
"Okay I'll buy that, but the fact that she worked almost three days nonstop doesn't bother you?"
Grissom sighed. "It does but I trust her enough to know when to call it quits." He looked at his hands. "She knows her limits better than I do."
"She collapsed yesterday from overexertion. Do you still think she knows her limits?" Preston waved a hand before Grissom could answer. He realized he was slipping and getting quite of topic. The last thing he wanted was an inquiry on the woman that had been through enough already. "Don't answer that. You worked the attack on Miss Sidle by the books. I am here for you Dr. Grissom, not Sidle. Run me through your actions when you walked in on Jarod Morse and Sidle."
Grissom was relieved that the whole Sara subject was dropped. "I warned Jarod Morse four times. He didn't get away from her and was going to stab her. I fired without hesitation."
"Yes, there were three shots correct?"
"Yes."
"Do you think if she wasn't exhausted then she would have heard him enter?"
Back to Sara again. "I thought we weren't talking about Sara."
"We aren't talking about her work ethic but I am talking about why you didn't pull her. That is your job as supervisor. You messed up she didn't, now answer my question Dr. Grissom."
"First of all I didn't mess up. Secondly, I think if the officer was in the house and not sitting in his patrol car, it might not have happened. I think that if the crime scene was cleared it might not happened." His voice was getting an edge despite his efforts to control himself.
"You blame officer Tally?"
He lost it. He was tired of the word games and the attack on his skills. He leaned forward into Preston's face. "No, I blame the sick bastard that hurt Sara."
Preston looked at Grissom completely shocked by the language used and the stance. "Yes he did hurt her." He said slowly then scribbled something else down as Grissom sat back and collected his thoughts. "He cut her right wrist, correct?"
"Yes. Twice." Grissom tried to keep his breathing calm but the day came back in a flood of images: Sara's wrist bleeding, Jarod Morse sitting on top of her, his hands touching her stomach, the knife dragging across her skin, her voice when he said his name, her eyes when he looked at her, Jarod still touching and hurting her, three shots, Sara panicking, crawling, in shock, and more blood. The scene was playing over and over in his mind. If he didn't reach her in time...what would he have done?
"He cut her stomach too." Preston added but when he noticed Grissom's heavy breathing he sat his pen down. The change of demeanor usually never happened during his questioning. Despite his reputation, Preston McFadden was a fair man. He saw that jokes were wasted on Grissom but he did not begrudge him. Anyone that loved their job would be worried by an inquiry. Yet it seemed that Grissom was more defensive about Sara Sidle than his job. He watched Grissom closely for another moment. He was in his own world. "Dr. Grissom are you okay?"
He looked up somewhat surprised by his question. He slowly came out of his trance. "I don't like seeing one of my CSI's hurt Mr. McFadden. Any good supervisor would say the same thing."
Preston nodded in total agreement and considered his options. "I think we are done." He concluded.
Grissom seemed relieved and rose to his feet.
"I will be talking to your group. It's..."
Grissom waved a tired hand. "Protocol."
"Yes." Preston said with a sigh. He watched Grissom exit. Preston began to hate his job. He hated investigating those that were only victims of circumstance. Yet it was his job to determine if that circumstance was avoidable. He released a heavy sigh and turned the tape recorder off.
tbc...