Chapter Two: Eyes
Sara walked up behiend the gray haired man. He must have senced her presence because he turned around. "Please," he said. "Don't pay any mind to her. She's a very sweet girl, but she's...overcome by grief."
Sara nodded. And yet, she saw something in his steely gray eyes that made her distrust him. She was inclined to believe the grief stricken woman pointing fingers. There was something about her that was much more believeable. The man in front of her probobly lied for a living.
"I'm Daniel Gerard." he said, offering his hand. Sara shook it out of curtosy. She wasn't sure why, but her gut reaction was to dislike this man. "This is my casino."
"Thomas Jenkins was your employee, correct?" Sara asked. Daniel nodded.
"Yes, he was one of my black-jack dealers?"
"Did you ever have any problems with him?"
Daniel shook his head. "No. No. Tom was a very good employee. He always did a good job. He was always on time, and curtious." Sara nodded. What a load of crap. This guy was hiding something from her. She just didn't trust him.
"How about money? Did he ever steal, or cheat?"
Daniel seemed taken aback by this question becaus he didn't answer right away. "Um, no. No, he didn't. He was a very good employee."
"Yes, you said that. Did any of his co-workers have a grudge against him?"
Daniel shook his head. He looked tired and ten years older then he actually was. He was a million miles away, and had a faded look on his face. "I...I'm not sure. I really have to go." he replied, then walked off, back into the hotel.
Sara turned around to Grissom. They did this some times. She would talk to someone, and Grissom would stand back and try to read them. "What do you think?" she asked. Grissom sighed and took a couple steps closer to her.
"He's hiding something." Grissom replied. He was almost sure of it. One thing was for sure, this man was not a very good liar. He couldn't hide his emotions well. However, that kind of behavior is generally learned.
Sara nodded. "Yeah." she turned around and looked at the spot where the ambulance used to be. "And, whatever it is, I think it's about her."
Grissom frowned. "Who?" he asked. Sara turned back to him and took a deep breath.
"Maria." Sara replied. She thought that was her name. Grissom agreed. He had seen the look the Daniel's face when Maria had hopped into the ambulance with Tom. It had been more then just one person concerned about another person. It had been like he had lost his best friend.
- - - - - - - - -
All and all it had been a very disapointing day. There was virtually nothing in the hotel suit accept a big red blood stain on the cream carpet. It was more likely that there would be more evidence on the victim, so they went to visit him at the hospital next.
"He's unconcious right now." the nurse told them both. "He sustained massive trama to the face and stomach. Both of his legs are broken. There was some internal bleeding, but that's been taken care of. For the moment."
"Has the family been notified?" Sara asked. The nurse nodded.
"His parents and girlfriend are in his room right now." she replied. Sara and Grissom thanked the nurse and she directed them to room 316, just down the hall.
They found the room quickly, and looked through the rectangular window and saw Maria sitting by the side of his bed, holding onto his hand and crying. His parents where in the corner. Tom's father was holding onto his crying wife, who couldn't stop looking at her son.
Grissom pushed the door open, and steped inside. He held the door open for Sara, who smiled at him, then walked to the side of the bed. "How is he?" she asked.
Tom's mother smiled, and walked to her son, standing next to Maria. "Better." she said, her voice breaking. It was easy to tell that she had been crying, but no one could blame her. Any mother in her place would be doing the same. She put a hand on Maria's shoulder for support. Maria covered the older woman's hand with her own, but never looked up from Tom.
"The doctors say that he will be okay." Mr. Jenkins said. There seemed to be doubt behiend his words. "But...I'm not sure."
"George," Mrs. Jenkins turned to her husband. "You shouldn't think such things." she looked back to her son and smiled. "Tom is going to be fine. I knew he shouldn't have taken that job. That man is a common thug."
Maria nodded, adimatly. "Who? If you don't mind me asking." Sara said. She was sure that she knew who, but she wanted to make sure. Maria looked up at Sara. There was a pain in her eyes unlike any that Sara had ever seen. It was as if she herself had been beaten to a bloody mess.
"Daniel. Daniel Gerard." It was easy to tell that Maria hated the man. She could keep the contempt out of her voice. "He has a sick fasination with me. Maybe it's a crush or something. At first, I milked it. I would come in late and he would overlook it. Once he even slipped another zero onto the back of my paycheck."
She laughed. "I thought that it was funny, but then I met Tom. He asked me out and I said yes. We had lobster and went dancing. It was...amazing." she looked down at her boyfriend. "I love him so much. But, Daniel always sees us. The eye-in-the-sky sees everything and so does Daniel. He threatened to fire me if I didn't break up with Tom. I told him he was full of shit. If he was so obsessed with me and if he loved me so much he would never fire me. Instead of fireing Tom he kept him around. So he could watch us. Bastard finally snapped."
Sara sighed. She turned to Grissom, who looked captivated by Maria. He obviously believed her a whole hell of a lot more then he believed Daniel. He looked back at Tom, and noticed somthing on the side of his face. "Sara." he said.
Sara turned to Grissom as he pointed out something on the side of his face. It looked like a mark from a ring. When Mrs. Jenkins leaned over and saw it she immediatly covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my god." she said, looking away quickly.
"Do you mind if we take a mold of this?" Grissom asked. Mr. Jenkins looked at him as if he had suddenly grown another head, but he eventually shrugged and nodded. "Thank you."
Sara walked up behiend the gray haired man. He must have senced her presence because he turned around. "Please," he said. "Don't pay any mind to her. She's a very sweet girl, but she's...overcome by grief."
Sara nodded. And yet, she saw something in his steely gray eyes that made her distrust him. She was inclined to believe the grief stricken woman pointing fingers. There was something about her that was much more believeable. The man in front of her probobly lied for a living.
"I'm Daniel Gerard." he said, offering his hand. Sara shook it out of curtosy. She wasn't sure why, but her gut reaction was to dislike this man. "This is my casino."
"Thomas Jenkins was your employee, correct?" Sara asked. Daniel nodded.
"Yes, he was one of my black-jack dealers?"
"Did you ever have any problems with him?"
Daniel shook his head. "No. No. Tom was a very good employee. He always did a good job. He was always on time, and curtious." Sara nodded. What a load of crap. This guy was hiding something from her. She just didn't trust him.
"How about money? Did he ever steal, or cheat?"
Daniel seemed taken aback by this question becaus he didn't answer right away. "Um, no. No, he didn't. He was a very good employee."
"Yes, you said that. Did any of his co-workers have a grudge against him?"
Daniel shook his head. He looked tired and ten years older then he actually was. He was a million miles away, and had a faded look on his face. "I...I'm not sure. I really have to go." he replied, then walked off, back into the hotel.
Sara turned around to Grissom. They did this some times. She would talk to someone, and Grissom would stand back and try to read them. "What do you think?" she asked. Grissom sighed and took a couple steps closer to her.
"He's hiding something." Grissom replied. He was almost sure of it. One thing was for sure, this man was not a very good liar. He couldn't hide his emotions well. However, that kind of behavior is generally learned.
Sara nodded. "Yeah." she turned around and looked at the spot where the ambulance used to be. "And, whatever it is, I think it's about her."
Grissom frowned. "Who?" he asked. Sara turned back to him and took a deep breath.
"Maria." Sara replied. She thought that was her name. Grissom agreed. He had seen the look the Daniel's face when Maria had hopped into the ambulance with Tom. It had been more then just one person concerned about another person. It had been like he had lost his best friend.
- - - - - - - - -
All and all it had been a very disapointing day. There was virtually nothing in the hotel suit accept a big red blood stain on the cream carpet. It was more likely that there would be more evidence on the victim, so they went to visit him at the hospital next.
"He's unconcious right now." the nurse told them both. "He sustained massive trama to the face and stomach. Both of his legs are broken. There was some internal bleeding, but that's been taken care of. For the moment."
"Has the family been notified?" Sara asked. The nurse nodded.
"His parents and girlfriend are in his room right now." she replied. Sara and Grissom thanked the nurse and she directed them to room 316, just down the hall.
They found the room quickly, and looked through the rectangular window and saw Maria sitting by the side of his bed, holding onto his hand and crying. His parents where in the corner. Tom's father was holding onto his crying wife, who couldn't stop looking at her son.
Grissom pushed the door open, and steped inside. He held the door open for Sara, who smiled at him, then walked to the side of the bed. "How is he?" she asked.
Tom's mother smiled, and walked to her son, standing next to Maria. "Better." she said, her voice breaking. It was easy to tell that she had been crying, but no one could blame her. Any mother in her place would be doing the same. She put a hand on Maria's shoulder for support. Maria covered the older woman's hand with her own, but never looked up from Tom.
"The doctors say that he will be okay." Mr. Jenkins said. There seemed to be doubt behiend his words. "But...I'm not sure."
"George," Mrs. Jenkins turned to her husband. "You shouldn't think such things." she looked back to her son and smiled. "Tom is going to be fine. I knew he shouldn't have taken that job. That man is a common thug."
Maria nodded, adimatly. "Who? If you don't mind me asking." Sara said. She was sure that she knew who, but she wanted to make sure. Maria looked up at Sara. There was a pain in her eyes unlike any that Sara had ever seen. It was as if she herself had been beaten to a bloody mess.
"Daniel. Daniel Gerard." It was easy to tell that Maria hated the man. She could keep the contempt out of her voice. "He has a sick fasination with me. Maybe it's a crush or something. At first, I milked it. I would come in late and he would overlook it. Once he even slipped another zero onto the back of my paycheck."
She laughed. "I thought that it was funny, but then I met Tom. He asked me out and I said yes. We had lobster and went dancing. It was...amazing." she looked down at her boyfriend. "I love him so much. But, Daniel always sees us. The eye-in-the-sky sees everything and so does Daniel. He threatened to fire me if I didn't break up with Tom. I told him he was full of shit. If he was so obsessed with me and if he loved me so much he would never fire me. Instead of fireing Tom he kept him around. So he could watch us. Bastard finally snapped."
Sara sighed. She turned to Grissom, who looked captivated by Maria. He obviously believed her a whole hell of a lot more then he believed Daniel. He looked back at Tom, and noticed somthing on the side of his face. "Sara." he said.
Sara turned to Grissom as he pointed out something on the side of his face. It looked like a mark from a ring. When Mrs. Jenkins leaned over and saw it she immediatly covered her mouth in shock. "Oh my god." she said, looking away quickly.
"Do you mind if we take a mold of this?" Grissom asked. Mr. Jenkins looked at him as if he had suddenly grown another head, but he eventually shrugged and nodded. "Thank you."
