Don't Be A Bad Boy

Chapter Nine

9 - MISSING

"Hey, you seen Greg?" Nick asked Sara in the evidence room.
Sara looked up, her eyes distorted behind the safety lenses. She brought them to rest on her chest. "Nope. He wasn't in the lab when I got back. He's still not there?"
"Nope."
"Did you check the restrooms?"
"Yep, nothing."
"Did he check out?" Sara took the glasses off and laid them on the table. She walked past Nick on her way to Grissom's office. Nick followed.
"Grissom, where's Greg?" Sara asked.
Grissom was lost somewhere behind three piles of paperwork. His head peeked out behind the last one. "Why would I know where Greg is? He's in his lab."
"Sorry. He's not."
Grissom slid his chair around his desk. "Well where is he? We have cases to process."
"I know and I don't know. Thought you might."
"Well, I don't."
Sara reached for Grissom's phone. "I'm phoning the front desk." She dialed the number. "Yes, has Greg Sanders punched out?" Sara listened. "Thank you." She placed the phone back down. "He left about three hours ago."
"Isn't that when" Nick said.
"Yes."
"In the breakroom?" Grissom asked.
Sara nodded.
"Why wouldn't Greg come back? It's not like we haven't jived him before. He can take it." Nick said.
Sara just stared at Nick.
"Call his home," Grissom said.
Sara did. No answer. She placed the phone back down slowly, her eyes not meeting either one of theirs. Suddenly she turned to Nick. "What did he say about that guy who tried to pick him up?"
Grissom's eyebrows rose, but he said nothing.
"Nothing. Just that he met him in some café. Why?"
Sara turned to Grissom. "The three vics, they were all homosexuals, weren't they?"
Grissom stood up, paperwork forgotten. "Yeah."
They stood in silence for a moment as the possible implications set in.
"Oh god," Nick said.
"Nick," Sara said. "What café did Greg go to?"
"I don't know. He didn't say."
"Jeezus!"

~*~

Copyright © 2003 Anansay