1 Chapter Five: The Circus
"I hate the circus," Warrick mumbled to himself as he approached the tent. They were all going: Grissom, Catherine, Nick, Warrick, and Sara. Catherine was the one who would talk to the suspect, Kyle. She had a recorder to tape what he said. Catherine felt a bit like a traitor as she pulled into the parking lot. She had always been on Kyle's side before. She was going to betray his trust. He is a serial killer, she told herself, over and over. He killed people. He betrayed your trust, too.
Catherine was alone. They had all gone 'alone,' in different cars, so no one would see them together. Police were pretty much swarming the place, mostly plainclothes so the customers wouldn't suspect anything. And so Kyle wouldn't suspect anything. Catherine sighed and slammed her car door shut. She made her way through the crowd to the circus tent. She needed a good seat. The other CSIs were going to be collecting evidence – that is, if there was any. Catherine was getting a very bad feeling about this.
A sudden gust of wind blew her hair across her face. Blonde. I fit the victim profile, Catherine realized. No good can come of this. She ducked into the tent and found a good seat. As she watched the crowd wait for the performance to start, she realized some good could come of this. A murder could be brought to justice. That's what I want, right? I want justice. Catherine closed her eyes tight. When she opened them, the world seemed to have changed. The innocent audience sat, unknowing, laughing and smiling. Catherine's trained eyes easily found the plainclothes policemen wandering around and, of course, her colleagues.
Music poured into the tent and the show began. Acrobats, lions, tigers, elephants, horseback riders, the acts kept coming. The audience laughed. Catherine did not. She was looking for a clown. A clown with one green eye and one blue eye. A clown named Kyle.
The happy music was beginning to make Catherine sick. She was not in the mood. She wanted to scream at the people next to her to stop laughing, that it wasn't funny. A new sickeningly happy tune came on over the loud speakers and the clowns tumbled out into the center ring. Catherine felt herself stiffen. One clown tumbled out and bounced right up onto his hands. Kyle, Catherine thought immediately. The clown came closer to her, and she leaned forward to look at his eyes.
Suddenly, the clown froze and fell over, causing the audience to erupt into peals of laughter. The clown jumped up, only to fall again. The clown spun around so he was facing Catherine. She gasped, thinking he had recognized her. But he only reached up to the flower on his shirt and squirted the kids in front of her. She sighed in relief, and looked closely at the clown's face. It was Kyle, all right. He turned and waved at the kids, took one over-exaggerated step, and fell down again.
The music changed again, but this time it wasn't quite so happy. It was one of those "dangerous" acts, but Catherine had no interest in it. She got up and headed towards the ladies' restroom. Once outside the tent, Catherine looked around. She saw Grissom casually checking out the food selection at the cart set up outside. Catherine walked up beside him and ordered cotton candy.
"Blue," she said to the salesman, "definitely blue." She glanced sideways at Grissom as she paid for the cotton candy and, catching his eye, nodded slightly. She was going in.
"I hate the circus," Warrick mumbled to himself as he approached the tent. They were all going: Grissom, Catherine, Nick, Warrick, and Sara. Catherine was the one who would talk to the suspect, Kyle. She had a recorder to tape what he said. Catherine felt a bit like a traitor as she pulled into the parking lot. She had always been on Kyle's side before. She was going to betray his trust. He is a serial killer, she told herself, over and over. He killed people. He betrayed your trust, too.
Catherine was alone. They had all gone 'alone,' in different cars, so no one would see them together. Police were pretty much swarming the place, mostly plainclothes so the customers wouldn't suspect anything. And so Kyle wouldn't suspect anything. Catherine sighed and slammed her car door shut. She made her way through the crowd to the circus tent. She needed a good seat. The other CSIs were going to be collecting evidence – that is, if there was any. Catherine was getting a very bad feeling about this.
A sudden gust of wind blew her hair across her face. Blonde. I fit the victim profile, Catherine realized. No good can come of this. She ducked into the tent and found a good seat. As she watched the crowd wait for the performance to start, she realized some good could come of this. A murder could be brought to justice. That's what I want, right? I want justice. Catherine closed her eyes tight. When she opened them, the world seemed to have changed. The innocent audience sat, unknowing, laughing and smiling. Catherine's trained eyes easily found the plainclothes policemen wandering around and, of course, her colleagues.
Music poured into the tent and the show began. Acrobats, lions, tigers, elephants, horseback riders, the acts kept coming. The audience laughed. Catherine did not. She was looking for a clown. A clown with one green eye and one blue eye. A clown named Kyle.
The happy music was beginning to make Catherine sick. She was not in the mood. She wanted to scream at the people next to her to stop laughing, that it wasn't funny. A new sickeningly happy tune came on over the loud speakers and the clowns tumbled out into the center ring. Catherine felt herself stiffen. One clown tumbled out and bounced right up onto his hands. Kyle, Catherine thought immediately. The clown came closer to her, and she leaned forward to look at his eyes.
Suddenly, the clown froze and fell over, causing the audience to erupt into peals of laughter. The clown jumped up, only to fall again. The clown spun around so he was facing Catherine. She gasped, thinking he had recognized her. But he only reached up to the flower on his shirt and squirted the kids in front of her. She sighed in relief, and looked closely at the clown's face. It was Kyle, all right. He turned and waved at the kids, took one over-exaggerated step, and fell down again.
The music changed again, but this time it wasn't quite so happy. It was one of those "dangerous" acts, but Catherine had no interest in it. She got up and headed towards the ladies' restroom. Once outside the tent, Catherine looked around. She saw Grissom casually checking out the food selection at the cart set up outside. Catherine walked up beside him and ordered cotton candy.
"Blue," she said to the salesman, "definitely blue." She glanced sideways at Grissom as she paid for the cotton candy and, catching his eye, nodded slightly. She was going in.