Title: My Heart Will Go On

Author: moonshot

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Disclaimer: See chapter 1

*** Smash to: CSI Layout Room

SARA is sitting at the layout room table with her head resting on the table, asleep. NICK is sitting nearby sipping a cup of coffee, leaning back in a chair, looking at the laptop. He appears to be zoned out.

WARRICK bursts into the room carrying a thick file and dropping it on the table, inches from Sara's head. SARA's head shoots up and NICK's chair hits the ground with a loud thud, causing his coffee to slosh over the edge of the cup.

WARRICK: Hey.

SARA: Huh? What?

WARRICK (picking up the folder again and shaking it in his hand): A drug dealer killed McDaniels' 20-year-old daughter five years ago. My buddy down in narcotics says that McDaniels' was sure that James Donovan was the dealer.

NICK: Really?

WARRICK: The CSIs on the case determined that Donovan was innocent. He had an alibi as well as absolutely no substantial forensic evidence. (opening the file) The head CSI assigned to the case was Grissom.

SARA: You think McDaniels is trying to get back at Grissom for letting his daughter's murderer go free?

WARRICK: Or he's trying to frame Donovan and put him in jail.

NICK: I don't know, but we're gonna need more than a hunch to get a warrant for a cop's house.

SARA: Yeah. any ideas?

WARRICK: I dunno.

NICK: If McDaniels really has it out for Donovan, he must of tried to pin something on him prior to this week, right?

SARA: So if we pull up his old case files.

NICK: We should find some sort of pattern.

WARRICK: Do the two of you want to do that? I think I'm gonna look into McDaniels' daughter's death. I also should give Catherine a call.

SARA: Sounds good. We'll call you when we get something.

NICK, SARA and WARRICK leave the layout room. NICK and SARA turn left and WARRICK turns right.

WARRICK walks down the hall and turns into the audio visual room. Sitting down at a computer, he pulls out his cell phone and dials.

Smash to: Catherine's kitchen.

CATHERINE and GRISSOM are fixing dinner while LINDSEY is seated at the counter working on her homework.

A cell phone, laying on the edge of the counter in a pile of cell phones and pagers, begins to ring.

GRISSOM: Cath, I think that's yours.

CATHERINE (wiping her hands on a towel): Yeah.

CATHERINE reaches for the phone on the counter, flipping it open.

CATHERINE: Willows.

Smash to: CSI Audio Visual Room

WARRICK: Hey Cath. What's up?

Smash to: Catherine's kitchen

CATHERINE: Hey Warrick. We're doing okay. (pausing, she walks toward the living room, leaving Grissom and Lindsey in the kitchen, and sits down on the couch) How's the case going?

WARRICK (off screen): We've gone down a couple of wrong paths, but now we've got a new suspect.

CATHERINE: Who? Or would that compromise the investigation?

Smash to: CSI Audio Visual Room

WARRICK: What do you know about Kristen McDaniels' death?

Smash to: Catherine's living room

CATHERINE (pausing): Kristen McDaniels was a freshman at UNLV when she was shot at close range on her way home from the library about 7 or 8 years ago. It turns out that she was killed in a drug deal gone bad. I believe the case is still unsolved.

Smash to: CSI Audio Visual Room

WARRICK: What if I told you that James Donovan was our only suspect in Mikey's murder, until an hour ago?

CATHERINE (off screen): I'd say that was quite a coincidence, especially since he was the only suspect in the McDaniels case.

WARRICK: Yeah. What if McDaniels is trying to get back at Grissom for letting Donovan off?

Smash to: Catherine's Living Room

CATHERINE: But, there was no evidence proving Donovan was there. (pause) Do you really think a cop could do that?

WARRICK (off screen) (sighing): I dunno. I hope not, but I don't know.

CATHERINE: Okay. Let me know when you know something.

CATHERINE closes her phone and sits thinking. GRISSOM walks into the living room, wiping his hands on a dishtowel.

GRISSOM: Did Warrick say anything good?

CATHERINE doesn't answer.

GRISSOM: Cath?

CATHERINE (snapping back into reality): Yeah?

GRISSOM sits on the couch next to Catherine.

GRISSOM: What did Warrick say?

CATHERINE (turning to Grissom): The current suspect in Mikey's death is Joey McDaniels.

GRISSOM looks at Catherine with a blank stare.

CATHERINE (continuing): The guys think he might have killed Mikey to get back at you for Kristen's death and tried to pin it on James Donovan.

GRISSOM (whispering, and starting to tear up): Oh God. What have I done?

CATHERINE: Gil, it's not your fault.

GRISSOM: No. I felt bad for Joey when Kristen was killed and I promised to keep him in the loop. I compromised the investigation by telling him I suspected James Donovan in the first place.

LINDSEY comes running into the room.

LINDSEY: I'm done with my homework, Mommy!

CATHERINE (with her eyes still on Grissom): Good for you, sweetheart. Can you go upstairs until dinner is ready?

LINDSEY (walking over to Grissom and noticing his tears): It's okay Uncle Gil. (wiping away Grissom's tears) I miss Mikey too.

LINDSEY wraps her arms around Grissom's neck. He pulls her into a warm embrace. CATHERINE pauses a moment then wraps her arms around both of them.

***

TBC