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Note: Thanks for the reviews so far. They have been a great motivator, as well as are all the amazing stories out here (although they always make me feel bad about my own)
On their return to the institute they were greeted far less amicably then before. Word seemed to have gotten to the director that they were thinking that someone from inside helped Nigel Crane get out. Warrick had no idea how Dr. Erickson could know that, but maybe Dr. Sharp had called and told him about what Catherine had said the other day. Or maybe they blamed the police for not having found Nigel Crane before he was murdered. Luckily there wasn't anything about Nick's alleged involvement on the news yet. But the lack of hospitality as a mere annoyance now, as they had obtained a general warrant. Their first target was Dr. Sharp's neat and orderly office. She had kept record of virtually everything.
"Hey, look at this. That's odd." Sara help up a document.
"What is it?" Warrick walked over to her.
"It's a sort off log book, each session with date, time and duration. The police report says that Nigel Crane disappeared sometime after lunch and before dinner. The session log, indicated that Nigel Crane had a session on 5pm the day he vanished. I've not read anything about that in the reports and Dr Sharp didn't mention it"
"Could be an oversight, but it could also mean that the good Doctor is hiding something. When did the session end?"
"It doesn't say, the log hasn't been filled in."
"That gives us a pretty narrow timeframe, we know that Nigel Crane was still here at 5pm and that he was gone by dinner. All entrances and exits are logged, all we need is get a list of who left during that time. I'm going to talk to our friend, the director again."
Five minutes later, Warrick was back with the list, a very long list at that. Two pages. They would have to personally verify every name on that list. Sara spoke out their common thought.
"We need a lot more manpower for that. The sheriff will have to give as a class of cadets. But he's never going to so that. For him Nick's the killer, that's all that he can see."
"I know. That's why I can't help thinking that we are wasting our time here, while we should be doing something to help Nick."
Sara nodded. A thought had been bugging her every since this whole mess started, but she had not wanted to admit it, even to herself. It felt like a betrayal to think it, let alone to say it out loud.
~~
Catherine knew that she should go home. They had done a lot today., They had found enough evidence to get the DA to lift the warrant. Warrick and Sara had gotten back from the institute, having narrowed down the time frame of Nigel Crane's escape. And they had fairly good chances of proving beyond a reasonable doubt that Nick wasn't a murderer. They still had no idea where he was or what exactly had happened, but they did know that each passing minute meant that Nick probably lost more blood. The police had started calling hospitals whether someone fitting Nick's description had been admitted but no luck. Catherine suspected that whoever killed Nigel Crane kept Nick captive, for reasons they didn't know. All this ran through Catherine's mind as she debated whether ton go home in the hopes of catching a glimpse of her daughter, or whether she should stay waiting for new. She had just decided to go home, when the office phone rang. She picked up, tensing up involuntarily, hoping that it wasn't going to be bad news.
"They found Nick." Brass came out with the pertinent piece of information.
Is he ok?
Not sure. The police said that he was involved in a car accident on
Kelly Sharp was in the vehicle with him.
"Where?"
"On I-35. That's outside our jurisdiction, but the sheriff already called. They are turning to case over to us."
"Do you know what happened?"
"Not much. Apparently a patrol car spotted Nick's car, and followed. Soon after, the car started driving irregularly and slammed into the T-rail. The officers found both of them alive, but Nick was unconscious. He's at the hospital now, Kelly Sharp was taken to the police station to give her statement. That's about all we know right now. I'm going over to there."
"We'll meet you there."
Catherine hurried of to the break room, where she found Grissom with Warrick and Sara, reading over Dr. Sharp's records.
"They found Nick, he's alive, but in hospital. Kelly Sharp was with him. I don't know any detail, but they said something about a car accident. Brass is expecting us there to process the evidence."
Grissom who had listened passively so far, now took charge of his team.
"Sara, you and Catherine stay here and continue to work on the evidence from the motel. We need to link Kelly Sharp to the murder. Warrick you are with me and Brass."
~~
The drive was long and tense as they were time seemed to stretch to a virtual standstill. It seemed like hours had passed when they finally pulled up in front of the station. Before they got out, Grissom divided the task, aiming not to lose any more time than they already had.
"We need to process this as quickly as possible. Evidence on people is highly fragile. I'll be going to the station with Brass. If Kelly Sharp did shoot Nigel Crane, there will be evidence on her. We are also going to have a look at the car. Warrick, take an officer with you and drive to the hospital. Get whatever Nick was wearing."
~~
Warrick couldn't exactly claim that he was thrilled at the prospect of having to checking Nick for evidence. Nick was a friend, that was what made it so difficult. He couldn't hide behind a wall of professionalism there. he was emotionally involved because Nick was a friend.
At the hospital Warrick didn't have to wait long before, Nick's doctor, Dr. Booth had then time to talk to him.
"Hello, I'm Warrick Brown with the Las Vegas Crime lab. I'm here about Nick Stokes."
"Yes, the receptionist told me that. Mr. Stokes suffered only minor injuries in his car accident. A cracked rip, a few bruises. He also suffered a head injury and a gunshot wound, but neither are related to the crash. He was unconscious at the scene, but woke up at the hospital. He was very agitated, we had to give him a mild sedative. He was treated for blood loss and received stitches to his arm."
"You said he was shot. Did you recover a bullet?"
"No, it was a through and through shot, lower left arm. But we did recover some duct tape from his wrists and some bandages. Apparently someone had tried to treat the wound before he got to the hospital."
"I would need the tape pieces, it's potential evidence in a crime. I would need the clothes he was wearing and have a look at him as well."
"Sure, I'll send the clothes over. He might still be off from the sedative but you can visit. Room 702, down the hall to the right."
"Thanks, but one more question. You said that someone tried to treat the wound. Could he had done it himself?"
"No, one arm pierced by a bullet, heavy bleeding, it's near impossible to do a neat wrapping. By the way it was done, it looked like someone with experience treated him."
"Thanks, you've been very helpful."
~~
After Brass had introduced Grissom and himself to the local detective, a man named Morrison, he gave them the run down on what they knew.
Dr. Kelly Sharp claims that she has been the victim of s kidnapping.
She seems pretty shocked. Her story might be true. We towed in the car, I think you might want to examine it. Lots of blood on the passenger seat, a gun in the glove compartment. We checked the registration number, it's licensed to nick Stokes, the alleged kidnapper, according to Dr. Sharp.
"I'd like to talk to Dr. Sharp, we suspect that she might have been involved in a homicide earlier today."
"We still have her in the interrogation room."
Kelly Sharp looked indeed distressed. Her hair was dishevelled. Her blouse was wrinkled, blood spatter on it. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying. She was nervously wringing her hands.
"Hello again, Dr. Sharp., we are here to ask you about what happened."
"Yes, I understand." She paused, trying to compose herself, but failing. Her hands were still trembling. She took a deep breath, then continued. "It was late, yesterday night, maybe like , around midnight. I had been looking through my notes from the case again. Suddenly Mr. Stokes showed up, he let him in, he said, he wanted to talk to me about the case. Suddenly he started threatening. I was afraid he was going to kill me…" Kelly Sharp out into tears again.
Brass looked at Grissom. He knew what Grissom was thinking. The whole statement and its delivery were overly dramatic, soap opera quality. Besides, the logic behind it didn't seem to solid. But impressions aside, the evidence was going to tell them what they needed to know. Dr. Kelly Sharp certainly did fit the height the had extrapolated for Crane's killer. If she had indeed fired a gun, then GSR would be on her hands.
"Dr. Sharp, before we continue we'd like to test your hands for gunpowder residue."
"But I didn't.."
"It's just a routine test that will help us reconstruct what happened."
Kelly Sharp nodded, unable to stop crying. She knew enough about forensics to know that it was game over for her now. She had not had a plan and whatever story she was going to tell, there would just be too much evidence of what had really happened. She wiped tears from her face. Suddenly when she had realized that it was all over, she felt relief. For the first time she knew why some killers wanted to be caught. Her thought which had been in a frenzy for so long quieted down. From now on things would take their course, she didn't have anything more to so with it. And so Kelly Sharp didn't say another word, but sat in her chair passively, watching it all unravel. And she turned her thought to thinking about when the decent, which had now ended for good had started. She didn't know and didn't care.
Brass and Grissom noted to abrupt change in her demeanour as well. She had suddenly turned calm, nit saying another word, not visibly reacting to what they said. She looked like she was far away. The test for GSR was positive as they had expected.
After that, an officer escorted her to the hospital to have her checked for any injuries she might still have sustained in the car crash. The gun, samples of the blood from the car and her blouse had been sent back to the Las Vegas crime lab for examination. In the meantime, Detective Morrison was out to get a warrant. They had enough evidence to hold her for the moment. Now it depended on what Warrick was going to find. If the witnesses were going to be silent, they evidence would have to speak for them.
~~
Warrick knocked before entering, but no answer. He slipped inside silently. At first he thought that Nick was asleep, but then he saw that Nick had noticed him coming in.
"Hey, Nick."
"Warrick, …"
"Sh, Nick. It's ok. You're going to be all right." That was at least what Warrick was hoping. They had yet to find conclusive prove of what had happened in he motel room, where Nigel crane had been found. Warrick didn't like to admit it, but he had almost hoped that Nick would be conscious, at least that way they would have both been spared the embarrassment.
"Nick, I need to have a look at you for evidence."
"Go ahead. I know the game." Nick sounded calm.
Warrick nodded. He started working in silence, the only sounds were the faints hums and beeps flowing through the hospital corridors and rooms. Nick had turned his head to the side, away from Warrick, Warrick was trying not to look at him, but see him as just another case. It felt wrong, but the only way to remain professional and somewhat objective. When he was done, he quietly put away his field kit and sat down on a chair next to Nick. He know that the evidence needed to be processed as soon as possible. But now, something else had priority. Nick not only needed a CSI to clear him of possible murder and kidnapping charges, but also a friend.
"I'm sorry Nick. I know it's not a good time, but can you tell me who shot you?"
"Shot? Nigel Crane was shot." Nick seemed confused. Warrick started to think that he should better put the questions off.
"The doctor told me that you had been shot in the arm."
"It was her, the psychiatrist. She wanted me to kill Nigel, but I … I couldn't." Nick's voice broke off.
"Just let it rest Nick. We'll deal with it. You need to get better first. We are all over the case."
At that moment Warrick's beeper went off. He excused himself, promising to come back later.
From the payphone in the lobby, he called Grissom. Warrick was relieved if not so say elated to hear that Dr. Sharp had tested positive for GSR. He related what he had learned from the doctor. Grissom, in spite of his normally impenetrable façade, showed relief in his voice as well. The case wasn't won, yet but they finally had the evidence they needed and with that the knowledge that a friend wouldn't go to jail for a crime he didn't commit.
Note: Fairly short this one, I know. One more chapter left to go, but that might take a few days. Sorry. Then I will definitely get back to my other fic projects that need to be finished.
