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Nick had trouble concentrating on the road in front of him, his thoughts kept returning to Nigel Crane. He told himself that he had no reason to worry, there was no way that Nigel could come after him here on the highway. For the past three days he had stayed with an old school friend, Andy who owned a successful sports gear shop near Phoenix . They had talked a lot about old times and during the week-end they had done a day hike. They had stayed up late. The world had been all right until Andy had listened to the messages on the answering machine. It had been Warrick, the last person whom he had expected to call him up on vacation. Nick had no clue how Warrick had even known where to find him. His decisions to go and see his friend had been rather spontaneous. When he had visited his parents in Texas he had met another friend who had told him about Andy. Nick had then called him up to chat and had promptly been invited to visit. They had had a lot of fun and Nick had started the day in a great mood, which was rapidly shattered when Andy had told him that someone from work had called him. Immediately a sense of foreboding had set in. While he was happy that everyone at worked was all right. Lost in his thoughts Nick almost slammed into the car in front of him, as it decelerated. That near miss catapulted him back to reality and he forced himself to concentrate on the road. It would be a bitter irony of Nigel Crane made him so nervous that he was going to get into a car accident. About half an hour more to go. He was hoping that once he was at CSI, would feel a little bit more at ease, but he already suspected that he wouldn't be able to properly relax until he knew that Nigel Crane wasn't go to be a threat to him or anyone else.
~~
Grissom's nerves had immediately tensed when he had spotted to door to Nick's house ajar. His weapons did nothing to make him feel safer, he hated the thought that he might have to use to for the very first time in his career. He carefully listed for any sounds from the inside, but heard nothing. He pushed up to door and glanced inside. His eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the dim interior. Before he even stepped inside, Grissom could see a slumped over figure by the kitchen counter. He couldn't see anyone else around, so, with his gun still raised, he stepped inside. Coming closer, he saw that the slumped figure was Warrick.
~~
Nick's nerves, which had been extremely tense ever since he knew what was going on, had just started to quiet down, once he had safely arrived at CSI, with no Nigel Crane in sight. He was starting to think that he had probably just overreacted, the memory of the attack two years ago still vivid in his mind. He was mad at himself for letting the mere memory of a dirtbag like Nigel Crane affect him like that. He had more power over him than he liked to admit. The extend of this influence was brought to his mind, when he caught himself carefully scanning the CSI parking lot for any suspicious figures hiding out. As he had expected nothing out of the ordinary was in sight. He just got out of the car, when Catherine and Sara came out of the building. Both were looking tense and worried.
"Nick, it's good to see you."
"You too Sara, Catherine. What's going on?" Nick was hoping that wasn't related to Nigel Crane, but it was.
"PD just called it in, there has been a burglary with assault at your address. Grissom and Warrick were going there, because we had no clue where you were. We're driving there now."
Nick was at a loss for words, as he felt himself being rapidly buried under an emotional avalanche. He didn't know how long he had been standing there, rooted to the spot, when he noticed Sara and Catherine staring at him. He could see that they were doubting whether he was up to anything right now. Nick took a deep breath and summoned up his determination. The sooner they could him, the sooner this nightmare was going to be over.
"Let's go then." He said with what he hoped was a firm voice.
When the arrived there, the ambulance was already parked in front of it. The first neighbours had come out of their houses to see what was going on.
Warrick was sitting on a chair in the living room, a paramedic tending to a gash on his head. Grissom was standing next to him.
"Hi" He greeted his co-workers. When he saw Nick coming in as well, he broke into a smile.
"Nick, glad that you're all right, man."
"What did he do to do, are you all right?" anger, bordering on rage filled Nick's voice.
Yes, I'm okay, he just pushed me and I hit my head on the counter, I guess. It's just a bump."
"It's more than a bump, Mr. Brown. You were unconscious at the time Mr Grissom found you."
"I was dazed." Warrick retorted
"Warrick you go the hospital. We need the medical report if this case ever goes to court. When you're done there, get to the station to give your official statement. Nick you go with Warrick, you shouldn't be on the case right now." Grissom's tone made it clear that it was an order. He felt that sending off Nick with Warrick was the best solution. He couldn't tell him to go home, since his house had turned into a crime scene.
"Catherine you better come with them. It's unlikely that Nigel Crane will try anything but better safe than sorry."
Catherine didn't look thrilled at the prospect of spending the better part of the day waiting around at hospital. This could easily turn into another one of those days when she didn't see her daughter awake. If she didn't love her job that much, she would have long quit it.
"Sara, you are with me here. We need to know how he got in and if he took anything. I assume you have searched the house?" Grissom turned to the uniformed officers who had been the first to arrive after he had called 911.
"Of course." The older of them replied.
"Okay, I'm going to start outside looking for a point of entry." Sara grabbed her kit and left. Outside, under the curious eye of the on-looking neighbours, she circled the house. Nothing looked out of place. Sara got to the backside of the house. Here it was evident how Nigel Crane had gotten inside the house. A broken window. Easy access point to the house. Not exactly smart of Nick to leave his windows largely unsecured. Well, she didn't do much better with her apartment. Not really expecting to find anything, Sara started dusting the window for prints.
Inside, Grissom was looking through the living room. Even at a closer inspection, nothing seemed out of place. That confirmed his suspicion that this had not been a normal burglary. A burglar would have searched drawers for cash or other valuables. Nigel Crane would know what to look for, if he would even be after an object. He might have just came to Nick's house to further his fantasies. The letters that Warrick had mentioned were gone. But the letter opener wasn't. There was blood on it, Warrick hadn't been cut, so there was a chance it belonged to the assailant. What else would Nigel Crane go after then? Nick's clothes, he had stolen these earlier. Would be difficult to tell whether anything was missing without Nick being there. What else? Cash, if Nigel had just gotten out he needed to eat and sleep somewhere, that cost money. Another item to ask Nick about. Nick's gun. Grissom had already checked all the drawers in the living room. Bedroom, the rest of the house, nothing. He could assume that Nigel Crane had both of Nick's gun, at least Grissom remembered Nick having a spare one.
~~
When Grissom came back to CSI, his mood was already sombre. When the receptionist told him that Sheriff Mobley had called, it didn't exactly improve. He had not the slightest desire to call him back, but he knew that putting the call off wasn't going to improve his mood or that of the sheriff.
It went as was to be expected.
"Grissom, about time you called me back."
"I was at a scene."
"I heard about it, one of your CSIs got knocked over the head. Did he see the attacker?"
"Not clearly, but we got some blood of the attacker, which we will run through CODIS, of course."
"When I gave permission for you to take a look at the institute and talk to the people there, I didn't mean you should stir up the entire case. But we can hardly undo that now, can we?"
Grissom said nothing, it was not like it was their fault that Warrick had run into Nigel Crane. He suspected that the main reason the sheriff was bothered, was that now, it was fairly inevitable that the public would learn that a mentally unstable, violent offender was on the loose and after more than two days they were still in the dark concerning his whereabouts.
"I have assigned Detective O'Reilly to work the case with you. The institute has offered its help, and we will take them up on their offer. Dr. Sharp, I believe you have met her, will work with you. She apparently has insight into Crane. She is going to meet you at CSI today. Meanwhile, I trust you are keeping Nick Stokes off the case. I have assigned an officer for his protection as well. As far as we know Nigel Crane hasn't left the state yet, but I have given out information to all the airports, major bus and train station. If he tried to get out of state, we will find him. Have you already determined how he is moving around?"
"No, not yet. We are checking car and bike thefts right now."
"Get back to work and keep me posted." The sheriff hung up.
~~
Catherine's suspicion had turned out to be true. The hospital visits was taking up the entire day. Because of a car pile up, they had waited for just over six hours. After the first hour, all attempts at conversation had stalled. Nick was gloomily staring ahead of himself, and had made it clear that he didn't want to talk. Not that Catherine couldn't understand that. She didn't even want to image herself being in the same spot. Warrick was nursing a headache while he was trying not to show it.
Nick was turn between anger, guilt and, he had to admit it, fear. They know how dangerous Nigel Crane could be. The fact that he was obsessed with him, didn't change the fact that he might try to kill him. After all, Nigel had pushed him through a second story window and later the same day had pulled a gun on him. He was angry that this guy with no life of his own was disturbing him and his vacation and was not beyond hurting his friends. Just because of him. Even if Warrick was trying not to look it, Nick could see that he had a pretty intense headache.
Finally after Catherine's third diet coke, it was Warrick's turn.
"Hey Nick, you know it's not your fault." Catherine felt stupid the minute she had said it.
"I know, I know, but I just can't help feeling responsible. If I hadn't been unreachable, then you wouldn't have to have gone to my house and Warrick wouldn't have been it over the head."
"If anyone, it's Nigel Cranes fault."
"I know, and I've never been angrier before, I think. It's strange. I know that I would kill the guy if I had the chance and yet, I can't believe I could do it."
"Don't worry, everyone has been, I recall a few times, I was this close to killing Eddie" Catherine said, only half-joking.
"Well, you didn't do it." Nick answered sombrely.
Another hour later, the three of them were finally good to go. Warrick had gotten some stitches for his gash and an official report of the injury.
"If it weren't for that stupid piece of paper, I wouldn't have waited around. Sorry, I know it has taken up your whole day." Warrick felt bad about having wasted the working day of three people just because he had been pushed against a counter. "let's get back to CSI and see what Grissom has come up with." He had wanted to suggest that they drop of Nick first, but the look on Nick's face told him that this wasn't a good idea at the time.
