A/N: OK I am going to include the plot line brought to us in the season 2
finale, Grissom's impending deafness, just to let you all know!
Chapter 1: The History of My Universe
"So Tala, how long have you known Mr. Robertson?" Grissom asked.
"Well Jeff was one of the first jockeys that actually backed me when I started riding, I guess that was about 2 years ago." Tala replied.
Both members of the conversation were studying each other. To Grissom Tala was a paradox; here she was with a severe disability, yet she was a warm and friendly person, not sullen or unhappy. She seemed to not even notice that she was at a disadvantage to the other riders on the track, but made the best of what she had, and this came as a whole new idea for Grissom, who was contending with the realization of his own disability. Her attitude was one of strength and perseverance, and of someone not to be messed with. While Grissom was making his observations, Tala was making a few of her own. As she looked at the man in front of her, she noticed the way that he held himself, to her he seemed like a man that was put in charge for a reason, his body posture told her that he was confidant with himself, and his abilities, yet there was an underlying fear, that she couldn't quite understand. He was older maybe in his mid to late 40's, but had a younger spirit.
"So did he have any enemies? On the track or off?" Grissom asked breaking Tala out of her reverie.
"Jeff was well liked my anyone who met him. There were rival jockeys who got mad when they lost a race or owners that lost money on a colt or filly, but no serious enemies, at least that I know of." Tala replied.
"And who were the rival stables?" He asked.
"Depended on the race, Jeff was a rider for hire, he didn't work for a stable." She said.
"So how well did he ride, is it possible that today was just an accident?" Grissom queried.
"Jeff was one of the best riders out there, he had a real way with horses, even though he used a whip, I had great respect for his abilities, and would have been proud to lose to him. Today was no accident, he has been riding for about 8 years, which is longer then any other rider out there." She said
" Alright thank you for your time Tala, we may come talk to you again" Grissom said.
"Sure, but I'm heading home now, so you'll have to come find me there." She replied. "I live at Freedom Flies Ranch, it's about a 25 minute drive from here, hard to miss, it's about 200 acres, and the house is a white farm house"
"We'll be sure to come there if we need any more information" He replied.
Tala then wheeled herself off to the parking lot where she got in her specially equipped truck, and drove off.
Gil Grissom and his team went to go process the crime scene. Out on the track the remains of Jeff Robertson were not a pretty sight. 12 horses at full gallop running over a body will do that though. 'This isn't going to be an easy case' Grissom thought.
"Ok, Sara, you take the body with Nick, Catherine, you go check on the tack and horse see if you can find anything there. Warrick you're with me, we're going to look for some eye witnesses, and try to find out exactly what happened out here today." With that said Grissom started to walk off with Warrick in tow.
Sara and Nick headed over to the body. Looking over the remains, they could see that the most probable cause of death was a skull fracture that left Jeff's cerebrum split from his forehead all the way back, and his brain exposed to the cool afternoon breeze.
"Nick, come check this out," Sara said breaking the silence, which had encompassed them until that moment. Nick walked over to where Sara was standing at Jeff's right leg. "See that film of dust that's on the bottom of the boot, look at the left boot, there isn't any." She told him. At a closer observation, Nock also saw the difference.
"Get a swab of the bottom of that boot, then let's go find Grissom" Nick said.
Meanwhile Catherine was in the barn looking at Devil's Play the horse that Jeff had been riding. She had examined the tack, and found it had already been cleaned, and so all evidence was destroyed. 'Well everybody's really thorough here or has something to hide' she thought. As she looked at the massive beast in front of her she decided that any evidence would also have been washed away, judging from the glossy sheen that radiated off the huge black horse. 'Oh well better go find Grissom' was her thought as she exited the large barn.
Grissom and Warrick were having little luck; no one had seen exactly what had happened before the accident, only the repercussions of it. Because Jeff was not riding the lead horse, the crowd's attention was not on him before hand. Just then Sara and Nick came walking over.
"You get anything off the body?" Grissom asked.
"Well we might have something, there was a residue on the bottom of his boot, but that may just be coincidence, where's Catherine?" Sara said.
Just as she asked Catherine strode up. "I'm right here, nothing on the tack or the horse, they were both cleaned before we got here." She told the group.
"Well looks like this case isn't gonna be just horse play" Grissom remarked.
Chapter 1: The History of My Universe
"So Tala, how long have you known Mr. Robertson?" Grissom asked.
"Well Jeff was one of the first jockeys that actually backed me when I started riding, I guess that was about 2 years ago." Tala replied.
Both members of the conversation were studying each other. To Grissom Tala was a paradox; here she was with a severe disability, yet she was a warm and friendly person, not sullen or unhappy. She seemed to not even notice that she was at a disadvantage to the other riders on the track, but made the best of what she had, and this came as a whole new idea for Grissom, who was contending with the realization of his own disability. Her attitude was one of strength and perseverance, and of someone not to be messed with. While Grissom was making his observations, Tala was making a few of her own. As she looked at the man in front of her, she noticed the way that he held himself, to her he seemed like a man that was put in charge for a reason, his body posture told her that he was confidant with himself, and his abilities, yet there was an underlying fear, that she couldn't quite understand. He was older maybe in his mid to late 40's, but had a younger spirit.
"So did he have any enemies? On the track or off?" Grissom asked breaking Tala out of her reverie.
"Jeff was well liked my anyone who met him. There were rival jockeys who got mad when they lost a race or owners that lost money on a colt or filly, but no serious enemies, at least that I know of." Tala replied.
"And who were the rival stables?" He asked.
"Depended on the race, Jeff was a rider for hire, he didn't work for a stable." She said.
"So how well did he ride, is it possible that today was just an accident?" Grissom queried.
"Jeff was one of the best riders out there, he had a real way with horses, even though he used a whip, I had great respect for his abilities, and would have been proud to lose to him. Today was no accident, he has been riding for about 8 years, which is longer then any other rider out there." She said
" Alright thank you for your time Tala, we may come talk to you again" Grissom said.
"Sure, but I'm heading home now, so you'll have to come find me there." She replied. "I live at Freedom Flies Ranch, it's about a 25 minute drive from here, hard to miss, it's about 200 acres, and the house is a white farm house"
"We'll be sure to come there if we need any more information" He replied.
Tala then wheeled herself off to the parking lot where she got in her specially equipped truck, and drove off.
Gil Grissom and his team went to go process the crime scene. Out on the track the remains of Jeff Robertson were not a pretty sight. 12 horses at full gallop running over a body will do that though. 'This isn't going to be an easy case' Grissom thought.
"Ok, Sara, you take the body with Nick, Catherine, you go check on the tack and horse see if you can find anything there. Warrick you're with me, we're going to look for some eye witnesses, and try to find out exactly what happened out here today." With that said Grissom started to walk off with Warrick in tow.
Sara and Nick headed over to the body. Looking over the remains, they could see that the most probable cause of death was a skull fracture that left Jeff's cerebrum split from his forehead all the way back, and his brain exposed to the cool afternoon breeze.
"Nick, come check this out," Sara said breaking the silence, which had encompassed them until that moment. Nick walked over to where Sara was standing at Jeff's right leg. "See that film of dust that's on the bottom of the boot, look at the left boot, there isn't any." She told him. At a closer observation, Nock also saw the difference.
"Get a swab of the bottom of that boot, then let's go find Grissom" Nick said.
Meanwhile Catherine was in the barn looking at Devil's Play the horse that Jeff had been riding. She had examined the tack, and found it had already been cleaned, and so all evidence was destroyed. 'Well everybody's really thorough here or has something to hide' she thought. As she looked at the massive beast in front of her she decided that any evidence would also have been washed away, judging from the glossy sheen that radiated off the huge black horse. 'Oh well better go find Grissom' was her thought as she exited the large barn.
Grissom and Warrick were having little luck; no one had seen exactly what had happened before the accident, only the repercussions of it. Because Jeff was not riding the lead horse, the crowd's attention was not on him before hand. Just then Sara and Nick came walking over.
"You get anything off the body?" Grissom asked.
"Well we might have something, there was a residue on the bottom of his boot, but that may just be coincidence, where's Catherine?" Sara said.
Just as she asked Catherine strode up. "I'm right here, nothing on the tack or the horse, they were both cleaned before we got here." She told the group.
"Well looks like this case isn't gonna be just horse play" Grissom remarked.