This story is based on characters created by Anthony E. Zuiker for the television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Remuneration, Part 25
by Cheers

"I'm sorry, Sheriff," Grissom said, rising. "I didn't hear a knock." As he spoke, the music he was listening to faded back in. Gil turned the boom box off, giving the impression that it was the music that prevented him from hearing the Sheriff at his office door.

Brian Mobley looked at the pile of books on the CSI supervisor's desk then over at the foam board that had dozens of insects and larvae pinned to it. "I guess you're in your element with the bugs."

That produced a wry smile from the forensic investigator. "It's the only element left to me."

Mobley looked at Grissom. Gil had every right to be bitter. Still, Brian hadn't expected it from him. "I'm here to talk about that very thing."


Nick had specialized in hair and fiber analysis during his training. He chose to take on the challenge of the two different colored fibers himself. He worked for several hours in the solitude of the Layout Room. He was able to isolate automobile carpet fibers easily enough. One set of the fibers found on the victim and her clothing were consistent with tan automotive carpeting commonly found in Ford vehicles. The samples were tri-lobal and synthetic - nylon. The color was specific to more recent model years. Nick requested a complete list from the manufacturer of all makes and models of Fords in all model years that came standard with the tan carpeting.

The second type of fiber was harder to pin down. Also synthetic, the fiber appeared to be from some type of carpeting as well. Once Nick had ruled out nylon, the most common synthetic carpet fiber, he decided to use GC mass spectrometry to determine what type of polymer he was dealing with. What he found was polypropylene, or olefin. The polymer was a continuous filament fiber that was pre-dyed a beige color during manufacture. His guess about the fiber's use in carpeting was correct.

Shelly Danbridge had come into contact with two different carpets before being killed. Nick would have to rule out any fibers she may have picked up in her grandmother's home or vehicle. If the fibers weren't consistent with carpeting in those two places, then he had the first pieces of real evidence that would solve the mystery of where she may have met her premature death.


After leaving the morgue with the preliminary post results on their John Doe, Warrick, Sara, and Catherine were met with the buzz that a high level meeting about Grissom had occurred. Catherine wanted to know what was happening, and as the acting supervisor for the night shift she decided someone was going to tell her.

Leaving Sara and Warrick to continue following up on the mark they had found on the victim's suit coat, Catherine went to get some information. If all else failed, Catherine would head to Ecklie's office. If the day shift supervisor was still in, she was going to wring the truth out of him - with her bare hands, if necessary.

Now armed with an approximate age thanks to Doc Robbins, along with the victim's height and estimated weight, Sara started a search of the missing person database. It was a long shot, but searches like this had paid off for her before. Grissom had once tried to discourage her from spending large amounts of time on a single case. He had been right, of course. She had been too emotionally involved with the case.

What if her emotional involvement with this case had nothing to do with the victim and everything to do with her boss? What the hell was happening?

What Sara wanted was to work with Grissom. To talk to him. To make sure he was doing okay. What she would have to settle for was waiting for his analysis, keeping her distance so he could concentrate, and praying that Nicky was making progress in proving Grissom's innocence. A missing persons search was just the kind of distraction she needed from the emotions she didn't really want to have to think about right now.

Warrick stayed on the laundry or tailoring mark. He was nearly at the end of his dry cleaner list and as the early morning wore on, more businesses would be opening up, giving him a chance to contact the remaining laundries on his list. After that, he would start on the list of tailors in town the computer business reference database spit out for him.

This type of work was tedious - drudgery. Warrick hated the drudge work. Grissom would point out that the job wasn't always about the big clues, the big cases. Grissom wouldn't give a damn about the tedium. Do the job, that's what Grissom would tell Warrick. Do it without bias and with precision. Don't cut corners. Follow every possible angle.

Taking a deep breath, Warrick reached for the phone to dial yet another number from his list. "Okay, Gris," he said to himself, "this one's for you."


Conrad Ecklie was closing up his office and heading home. Nick Stokes had the Danbridge case cooking on all burners, Carl Paulson was in line for a Jim Brass special, and the Sheriff had gone off to tell Grissom the good news himself. Being a day shift person, Conrad was sure that pulling many more of these night hours would kill him. God, he was tired. Just when he thought he was going to be home free, he heard a voice that made him wince.

"Ecklie!"

Turning, Conrad found that he was face to face with Catherine Willows. The look on her face told Conrad all he needed to know about her mood. If there had been a hole in the hallway, anywhere, Ecklie would have made a running jump down into it.

"Hello, Catherine," Conrad said with a cordialness that he didn't necessarily feel.

"What the hell is going on with the case against Grissom?" Catherine asked without preamble. Knowing that there had been a high level meeting, she'd gone first to Grissom's office. He wasn't there. Krista, the receptionist on nights, had told Catherine that Grissom had checked out of the lab and gone home. Catherine feared the worst.

Conrad took a deep breath and blew it out audibly. He really didn't want to do this right now. He was tired and he could hear his pillow calling his name. "You know I can't divulge the results of an investigation," he told her. "If you really want to know, ask Grissom."

Catherine's temper deflated a little. She was asking Ecklie to break protocol. But, dammit, sometimes protocol was meant to be broken. "He's not in his office. I've already checked. He's signed out and gone home."

Ecklie shrugged. "Then I guess you'll have to call him at home or wait until he returns to work."

That last statement gave Catherine pause. "What a minute," she began, mentally working through the information. "You said when he returns to work."

Conrad was losing patience. "Yes. Or page him … whatever."

Now Catherine was beginning to smile. "But if he's able to return to work then he hasn't been fired," relief filled her voice. "The meeting you had with the Sheriff earlier."

Now Conrad was frowning. "How do you know about the meeting?"

"So Nicky must have found something to exonerate Grissom," Catherine surmised. "And the Sheriff knows it."

"I didn't say that," Ecklie objected. When he met Catherine's gaze, he knew she understood that Grissom was cleared. "The official report of the department's investigation won't be made public until later this morning."

The bigger Conrad's frown became, the larger Catherine's smile grew. "Thanks for the information, Conrad," Catherine said. She patted him on the shoulder then turned on her heels and headed to tell the rest of her team the good news. She also wanted to find Nicky and give him a big hug. She would have to wait until she talked with Grissom to find out why he had gone home, but one thing was certain now. Gil Grissom was still a very big part of the Las Vegas Crime Lab.