Title: My Heart Will Go On

Author: moonshot

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

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Smash to: Grissom's Townhouse, Living Room

GRISSOM is sitting on the couch, absentmindedly nursing a glass of scotch. CATHERINE walks in, carrying two mugs of coffee. She sets one down on the table.

CATHERINE (reaching for the glass and replacing it with a mug): You really have to stop drinking.

GRISSOM: Why?

CATHERINE: Because Lindsey will be coming home from school soon, and you don't want her to see you like Eddie.

GRISSOM (reluctantly): Yeah. (softly) Cath?

CATHERINE (sitting beside Grissom and rubbing his back): Yeah?

GRISSOM: What do I do now? The one person whose life was fused to mine is gone.

CATHERINE: What would Mikey want you to do?

GRISSOM silently takes a sip of his coffee.

CATHERINE (continuing): She'd want you to find something worth living for. She'd want your life to go on just as it did before you met her. (pause) I'll bet she's looking down on you right now, wishing you'd stop wallowing in self-guilt. Never forget her, Gil; remember how she showed you what true happiness is, and keep on living.

GRISSOM (getting up after a moment): Yeah, I guess you're right. I'll take a shower and then we can pick Lindsey up from school.

CATHERINE (looking up at him and smiling): Okay.

GRISSOM puts his mug on the table and walks silently out of the room. CATHERINE watches him leave before curling her knees to her chest and sobbing.

Smash to: Interrogation Room, LVPD

JAMES DONOVAN is seated at the table. His suit jacket is slung over the chair back, his shirt sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and his tie has been loosened.

The door opens admitting SARA, carrying a file, and BRASS.

SARA (opening file): Mr. Donovan, you recently purchased 2 cans of high- gloss white oil paint. May I ask why?

DONOVAN: Sure. I had the living room of my penthouse painted two weeks ago.

SARA (throwing down a photo of the plastic wrap): We found this ten feet from Mikey's body. It's covered in high-gloss paint stained with Red dye #40.

DONOVAN (surprised): Red dye #40? That's what we use in our factory to dye cherries.

SARA: Exactly. So do you want to explain how this plastic wrap ended up in our crime scene?

DONOVAN: I have no idea. (pause, then slowly speaking) Wait a minute. Where was the body found?

SARA: In an alley near the corner of North Decatur and West Craig Road.

DONOVAN: My painter lives on Hatch Street right off of West Craig. I usually let him take the leftover paint.

SARA: How did it end up with food dye in it?

DONOVAN: I don't know that either, but he also painted for me down at the factory and we wanted the cherry room the same hue as the cherries themselves.

BRASS (opening his notepad and taking out a pen): We're gonna need his name.

Smash to: Layout Room, CSI

WARRICK and NICK are seated in the layout room. NICK is seated behind a laptop and WARRICK is once again looking over files.

WARRICK leans back and rubs his eyes. NICK looks up at him.

WARRICK: Somethin's not right.

NICK: What?

WARRICK: I don't know. there's so much that doesn't add up. (pushes a piece of paper across the table) Look at this profile on Donovan. He's red flagged because of his digs and no job, but he has a job. How hard was it to figure out that Donovan had a job?

NICK: His signature is on every box of Ethyl M candy that is sold.

WARRICK: Exactly. So how come no one knew he had a job? All they had to do was ask him.

NICK: So it was shotty police work?

WARRICK (still uncomfortable): I guess. McDaniels has given me everything I asked for, but I'm wondering if he's holding something back from me.

NICK looks at Warrick with one eyebrow raised.

WARRICK: Do you think McDaniels could be involved?

NICK opens his mouth to speak.

WARRICK: You think McDaniels is involved. (pause) I'll talk to McDaniels again.

WARRICK quickly cleans up the file and walks out. NICK stares after him still open-mouthed.

NICK (calling after Warrick): Glad to have helped.

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TBC