Chapter 4: Formalities of a Tragedy
Tala once again found herself sitting across from the man who proved to be quite a mystery for her. He seemed to be hiding something, but she couldn't quite figure it out. He didn't look at her with pity, or fear, which were both common responses to her disability, and yet it felt as if he was hiding something from her. He seemed to understand that she was a peace with herself, and respects that, and that quality was really hard to find in people these days. She had wanted to do a bit of research on him after their first encounter, but it seemed that that would have to wait until later.
"Well I can't really say it's good to see you again Mr. Grissom, because of the circumstances, but thank you for coming" Tala said, breaking the silence that was quickly becoming uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry about your friend, but I do have some questions." He replied
"He wasn't my friend, he was just hired yesterday." She replied a bit indignantly.
"You mean that he hasn't been working her for a long time? Who would have been riding that horse if he wasn't?" Grissom asked suddenly interested. " Well I guess it would have been me, if we hadn't hired anyone.why?" she asked a bit confused.
"I was thinking that if he was just hired yesterday, no one would have had time to plan this little "accident" and that maybe the target wasn't Mark, but the person who was supposed to ride the horse toady." He replied
" You mean me? Why would anyone want to hurt me?" Tala asked, already knowing a bit of the answer.
"I think you have a pretty good idea. That gives me a bit more to look into, but I will go join my team now if you have nothing else to add that may help" He said.
"No I don't know anything, but if you do have any questions, you can always ask," she said as she opened the door and proceeded Grissom out of the small tack room.
Once they were one again in the large hallway of the huge barn, Grissom took in deep breaths of fresh air. Tala may not have noticed the smell of leather, oils, and sweat, but Grissom's senses had been overwhelmed by the pungent smells of the windowless room. He went out to the track to check on his team.
While Grissom was talking with Tala, Catherine and Warrick were processing the dead body. The cause of death was much like that of Jeff Robertson, a severely fractured skull, but otherwise had no sever injuries. He had a broken arm, possibly a fractured rib or two, but other then that he was in pretty good condition.
"Remind me not to get on the bad side of a horse any time soon," Warrick quipped.
"Don't worry, you aren't the only one who's a little wary of horses right now.big teeth and big feet, not my favorite kind of animal anyways." Catherine replied
"Well better get to work.Gris is going to get done and then come after us for being lazy." Warrick said. After that the rest of the examination of the body was done in silence.
Catherine went to the boots to look for any residue, remembering what Sara had found the last time. Warrick started at the head, looking for any way that the helmet could have slipped off so easily. He walked over to the helmet, and picked it up. He looked at the strap, which was noticeably frayed at one particular area, and that area alone. "Damn" Warrick muttered under his breath. Meanwhile Catherine was looking at the boots still, something just didn't seem right. She reached her hand back to the heel of the book, and quickly yanked it back again, crimson blood starting to seep out of multiple gashes in her hand.
"Warrick I think you had better get over here!" She yelled holding her hand and backing away as to not contaminate the scene.
"Catherine, what happened to your hand?" Warrick asked as he approached her.
"Check the bottom of that boot, there's something really sharp there." She said.
Warrick went over to the body, and bent down to look at he heel of the boot. At closer inspection there were minute traces of glass imbedded in the heels of the boots.
"Looks like we have another murder on our hands. Did you send the horse back to headquarters, I want ot have a look at it." He said.
"Yeah along with a blood and tissue sample, want to make sure the horse wasn't drugged." She said.
"You think it was?" Warrick asked a little confused "How could you know that?"
"Just a guess, but also why would the horse die, nothing was wrong with it, there was no other evidence that could lead to it's death, it's spine was intact, and there was no bleeding, what else could it have been?" She said while bandaging up her hand. "I'd better quit here , I don't want to contaminate the scene."
Just then Grissom walked out of the barn followed closely by the girl that was at the tracks yesterday. "So guys what do we have?"
Tala once again found herself sitting across from the man who proved to be quite a mystery for her. He seemed to be hiding something, but she couldn't quite figure it out. He didn't look at her with pity, or fear, which were both common responses to her disability, and yet it felt as if he was hiding something from her. He seemed to understand that she was a peace with herself, and respects that, and that quality was really hard to find in people these days. She had wanted to do a bit of research on him after their first encounter, but it seemed that that would have to wait until later.
"Well I can't really say it's good to see you again Mr. Grissom, because of the circumstances, but thank you for coming" Tala said, breaking the silence that was quickly becoming uncomfortable.
"I'm sorry about your friend, but I do have some questions." He replied
"He wasn't my friend, he was just hired yesterday." She replied a bit indignantly.
"You mean that he hasn't been working her for a long time? Who would have been riding that horse if he wasn't?" Grissom asked suddenly interested. " Well I guess it would have been me, if we hadn't hired anyone.why?" she asked a bit confused.
"I was thinking that if he was just hired yesterday, no one would have had time to plan this little "accident" and that maybe the target wasn't Mark, but the person who was supposed to ride the horse toady." He replied
" You mean me? Why would anyone want to hurt me?" Tala asked, already knowing a bit of the answer.
"I think you have a pretty good idea. That gives me a bit more to look into, but I will go join my team now if you have nothing else to add that may help" He said.
"No I don't know anything, but if you do have any questions, you can always ask," she said as she opened the door and proceeded Grissom out of the small tack room.
Once they were one again in the large hallway of the huge barn, Grissom took in deep breaths of fresh air. Tala may not have noticed the smell of leather, oils, and sweat, but Grissom's senses had been overwhelmed by the pungent smells of the windowless room. He went out to the track to check on his team.
While Grissom was talking with Tala, Catherine and Warrick were processing the dead body. The cause of death was much like that of Jeff Robertson, a severely fractured skull, but otherwise had no sever injuries. He had a broken arm, possibly a fractured rib or two, but other then that he was in pretty good condition.
"Remind me not to get on the bad side of a horse any time soon," Warrick quipped.
"Don't worry, you aren't the only one who's a little wary of horses right now.big teeth and big feet, not my favorite kind of animal anyways." Catherine replied
"Well better get to work.Gris is going to get done and then come after us for being lazy." Warrick said. After that the rest of the examination of the body was done in silence.
Catherine went to the boots to look for any residue, remembering what Sara had found the last time. Warrick started at the head, looking for any way that the helmet could have slipped off so easily. He walked over to the helmet, and picked it up. He looked at the strap, which was noticeably frayed at one particular area, and that area alone. "Damn" Warrick muttered under his breath. Meanwhile Catherine was looking at the boots still, something just didn't seem right. She reached her hand back to the heel of the book, and quickly yanked it back again, crimson blood starting to seep out of multiple gashes in her hand.
"Warrick I think you had better get over here!" She yelled holding her hand and backing away as to not contaminate the scene.
"Catherine, what happened to your hand?" Warrick asked as he approached her.
"Check the bottom of that boot, there's something really sharp there." She said.
Warrick went over to the body, and bent down to look at he heel of the boot. At closer inspection there were minute traces of glass imbedded in the heels of the boots.
"Looks like we have another murder on our hands. Did you send the horse back to headquarters, I want ot have a look at it." He said.
"Yeah along with a blood and tissue sample, want to make sure the horse wasn't drugged." She said.
"You think it was?" Warrick asked a little confused "How could you know that?"
"Just a guess, but also why would the horse die, nothing was wrong with it, there was no other evidence that could lead to it's death, it's spine was intact, and there was no bleeding, what else could it have been?" She said while bandaging up her hand. "I'd better quit here , I don't want to contaminate the scene."
Just then Grissom walked out of the barn followed closely by the girl that was at the tracks yesterday. "So guys what do we have?"