Authors Note ;Please see chapter one for disclaimer and the legal stuff
Thank you for the reviews and encouragement. I will keep plodding away thanks to them. I admit I was going to give up before I went on holiday. There is a little cussing in this one and an expletive. Soz, it's a Brass thing.....Things are getting serious again as it appears the team are being given the run around Vegas playing silly, trivial games at the expense of Brass, but things are about to turn a little more sinsiter for someone the detective is rather fond of............
TEN
'So how did it go?' Catherine asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. Brass yawned again and glared across at her from the passenger seat.
'How do you think it went?' He grumbled.
'Was it hard, so to speak?' Jim didn't answer. He pulled his jacket tighter across his body and slumped further down in the car seat. He didn't want to talk any more. He was tired and even more so now. All he thought about was his bed and how much it would be welcomed this morning. 'Oh c'mon Jim,' Catherine goaded pulling alongside the driveway of his home. 'Smile, it could have been worse. He could have had you riding Grissom's favourite roller coaster in your birthday suit.'
'How's that?'
'Well, this all just appears to be a humiliating game right now..........'
'Yeah, well gimme a break eh? That was embarrassing for me back there. You think it's funny....well doing...you know.....THAT! And into a cup so small. PLEASE! It's a very private activity.'
'You do it often?' Jim gave her an exasperated 'I can't believe you've just asked me that' stare and realised for the first time in many a year his nerves were really on edge but Catherine continued her playful goading in a manner too cheerful for his mood. She was enjoying this little part of the game. 'It didn't take too long and they gave you some magazines, and of course I did offer to help....which I'd like to point out was refused.' Catherine's tone was half joking. Brass was climbing out of the car.
'You did help' he lamented.
'How?'
'I thought about you dancing round a silver pole in a silk thong and nothing much more....THAT'S why it didn't take long!' He slammed the door shut a disappeared into the house.
***********************************************
Gil Grissom listened intently, his face a mask of boyish innocence as if he was learning something new. Sara Sidle could not make the broad gap-toothed grin any smaller if she'd tried for a hundred years. Nick Stokes could barely contain himself making the others think he was about to have to change his undershorts and Warrick Brown wore a grimace as if the thought of a junior sized Jim Brass running about Vegas was more than his stomach could take.
Catherine sat back in the chair as she finished her tale allowing her friends the chance to digest the latest adventures of their ex-supervisor in the Case of the Cryptic Crossword clues. The amusement of it all hung like a cloud in the air.
'So how big was the cup?' asked Nick. Catherine made her fingers into a circle. 'Oooooh, that's tiny.'
'Agghhhh.,' Warrick groaned. 'This is way too much information for me. I'm outta here, got a home break to go to.' He waved a hand and disappeared.
'So they really going to store it so some poor woman can be subjected to his DNA in future?' Sara was still grinning when she said this.
'Absoloutely. It was a genuine clinic, and they're greatful for all the donations they can get.'
'Is he going back some point, maybe he'll be a regular customer.'
'I have no plans to be Miss Sidle.' Brass stood in the doorway straight faced. 'I prefer making those sorts of deposits elsewhere.' Nick stood by him and slapped him on the shoulder.
'Sara and I have to go. Accident has just come in. Catch ya later..... HOTSHOT!'
'Yeah that's right,' chipped in Sara. 'You know Brass, you look real tired tonight. You shouldn't work so HARD at your job.' Brass closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the two CSI's walked down the corridor making loud converstaion and peppering it with double entendres. This was going to take some time to go away.
'Don't mind them,' said Catherine softly. 'It's just a bit of fun for now. I have to go too.'She pushed her still half full coffe cup into his hand. 'Little girl, sexual assault.' She stopped as she walked past him and touched the back of her hand to his cheek lightly in a suprisingly intimate gesture. 'The blush is burning your face STUD.Try not spill any.' Winking at him, she left.
Brass flopped into a soft chair.
'This is getting too much,' he complained. 'I mean why am I wasting my time with this Gil?'
Grissom placed his glasses on the table and rested his chin on his hand looking at his friend.
'No idea,' he offered. 'It had you rattled enough at the start, and I can't ever remember that happening. Now it appears to have de-generated into humiliation tactics, and for what reason, we don't know.'
'Well, I've had enough. I'm through with chasing round Vegas giving this guy his belly laughs. The paper on my desk is stacking up and I have to be in court next week and I still haven't looked over my case notes for the trial.'
'I see you and Catherine are getting on well.'
'We're friends, that's all.' Brass waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. 'She's just enjoying my little dilema from this morning.'
'Greg is saying you asked her out.' So Sanders had been lurking near the coffee pots again.
'No, not really. I sort of asked her.....you know....we have break together now and again just like you and I do.' Grissom remained quiet and fixed the cop with a solid gaze. 'Alright,' Brass conceeded, 'I asked her out to dinner and she said no. There. Happy?'
'Why should I be happy or unhappy if you go out with one of my CSI's?'
'Well I'm not going out with her. she'd go out with you probably before me and that's not gonna happen either.'
Grissom shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his chair. Brass was even more cranky than usual this evening it appeared. That took some doing normally. He removed the paper from his pocket.
'This appears to be the end of the line,' he said opening it out on the table. 'There's no clue here. Just a poetry quote: Ever let the fancy roam, Pleasure never is at home.'
'It's finished as far as I'm concerned. I know nothing of poetry or fancy and I'm gonna get some work done.' With a sense of finality in his voice, Brass pushed himself up, drained the last of Catherine's coffee and placed the mug in the sink. 'Bin that paper and I'll be in my office if you want me.'
*******************************************
Grissom looked about the break room at CSI with a frown.
'Where's Catherine?' he asked, the puzzled expression still creasing his forehead.
'Still at that indecent assault on the little girl, far as I know' offered Sara.
'She was supposed to be back hours ago.'
'You know she takes extra special care at those,' said Warrick. 'It's like a crime that she has to solve no matter what it takes when little girls are involved.'
Nick unclipped a cell phone from his belt.
'I'll give her a call and tell her to hurry so we can grab some breakfast.' He punched the speed dial number and waited. Nothing. Finally he disconnected and looked at the others. 'It's just ringing out.'
'Did she take a handset radio with her?'
'Don't know, but I'll call dispatch and see if she booked one out.' Sara picked up the receiver of the break room phone. 'She didn't have one when she left at start break time.' After a short conversation with the dispatch desk, Sara grimaced and shook her head. 'Nada.'
Grissom pulled the piece of paper that had been in the envelope given to him by Brass from his trouser pocket and read it again.
'Clues a bum,' Warrick commented watching Grissom's frown become deeper.
'No Warrick, it just doesn't make sense after the others. It's a quote from Keats. The first line of a poem called 'Fancy'. And I don't think this one's a clue. Just a message.'
'So it's about what we want or covert?'
'It's a long time since I read the poem but I think this is a cryptic message.'
'What does Jim like that he can't have?' Nick asked flicking the phone open and dialing Catherine's number again.
'I'm not sure Nick.'
'Still no reply. Pointless asking Jim if he's seen her because I know he's been closeted in his office behind an Everest of paper all night. Besides he's still sulking with us i think.'
'Breakfast sounds good. Catherine's probably just running late.'
*********************************************
Grissom managed no more than two hours of disturbed sleep. He looked at the clock, it was almost lunchtime. Dialing the number of the lab's reception he asked Judy to check the time sheet and log. Catherine had not returned to the lab and had not entered a finish time for her shift. No-one had seen her. No-one had spoken to her. Gil thanked Judy and stepping into the shower began pondering the message again. Now he was worried.
Half an hour later he was rapping loudly on the door of Brass's home. After a few minutes a dischevelled looking detective with mussed hair and a days growth on his face, was fixing him with a lazy eye on the doorstep. Inviting the scientist in, Brass went into the kitchen and began making coffee listening quietly to Grissom relating the problem that had brought him to the door. Placing hot drinks on the table, Brass sat in a chair opposite Grissom.
'So you're not happy?' Jim said eventually.
'I'm worried Jim.'
'Are we thinking this is connected with the notes?'
Grissom shrugged. 'Has to be.'
'But they've all been directed at me. Having me do insane things.I thought eventually I was gonna have to jump of the Stratosphere Tower,naked without a parachute.'
'Catherine is close to you.'
'We've been down this road already Gil. She's a pal like you are,like Nick, the others.'
'Be honest with yourself Jim, you like her more than a friend.'
'Yeah, I think she's sexy, intelligent, she has a great way with animals and kids, and on occassion I have been known to have the odd dream, but I'm happy being her friend. And let's face it,I don't stand a chance with a woman like that.'
'Any more notes?'
'Not last night, but I haven't checked my personal mail yet.' Brass scraped his chair back and went into the hallway. Picking up his mail from a small table there, he flicked through the envelopes. His eyes darkened when he saw a plain, brown manilla envelope with the name 'Mr J Brass' scrawled on in black feltpen. Tearing at it, he removed two papers.
'Well?' Grissom appeared at the door behind him. Brass showed him the two papers.
'Son of a bitch!' yelled Brass angrily.'He asks if I'm missing someone.' He thrust the paper into Grissom's hand. 'The second is another one of those stupid clues.......Goddamn him!' His eyes flashed with an intense anger Grissom so rarely had seen. 'If this is about Cath and he's hurt her I swear to God I'll tear his fucking heart out!'
'Captain Brass will feel at peace in the house of the law.' Grissom read aloud the clue over Brass's shoulder as he still clutched the piece of paper.
'At peace? Is he gonna kill me too. House of the law. What is that? The PD? Is this S.O.B gonna gun me down at the station.'
Grissom shook his head slowly and deliberately. 'No,' he said at length. 'Yes, this is for your benefit but this time the game's about Catherine.'
'Gil we have to find her, and I really have to find out who's doing this.' Jim grabbed his phone and hit the speed dial. 'O'Riley, it's Brass, i need a favour, meet me at the station in a half hour and see if you can locate Vega, we're gonna need him too.... What's this about? Some sicko has Catherine Willows and we need to locate her, fast.' He disconnected the line. Tossing it onto the sofa he headed upstairs. 'Gimme two minutes to shower.' He offered to Grissom over his shoulder.
Thank you for the reviews and encouragement. I will keep plodding away thanks to them. I admit I was going to give up before I went on holiday. There is a little cussing in this one and an expletive. Soz, it's a Brass thing.....Things are getting serious again as it appears the team are being given the run around Vegas playing silly, trivial games at the expense of Brass, but things are about to turn a little more sinsiter for someone the detective is rather fond of............
TEN
'So how did it go?' Catherine asked for what seemed like the hundredth time. Brass yawned again and glared across at her from the passenger seat.
'How do you think it went?' He grumbled.
'Was it hard, so to speak?' Jim didn't answer. He pulled his jacket tighter across his body and slumped further down in the car seat. He didn't want to talk any more. He was tired and even more so now. All he thought about was his bed and how much it would be welcomed this morning. 'Oh c'mon Jim,' Catherine goaded pulling alongside the driveway of his home. 'Smile, it could have been worse. He could have had you riding Grissom's favourite roller coaster in your birthday suit.'
'How's that?'
'Well, this all just appears to be a humiliating game right now..........'
'Yeah, well gimme a break eh? That was embarrassing for me back there. You think it's funny....well doing...you know.....THAT! And into a cup so small. PLEASE! It's a very private activity.'
'You do it often?' Jim gave her an exasperated 'I can't believe you've just asked me that' stare and realised for the first time in many a year his nerves were really on edge but Catherine continued her playful goading in a manner too cheerful for his mood. She was enjoying this little part of the game. 'It didn't take too long and they gave you some magazines, and of course I did offer to help....which I'd like to point out was refused.' Catherine's tone was half joking. Brass was climbing out of the car.
'You did help' he lamented.
'How?'
'I thought about you dancing round a silver pole in a silk thong and nothing much more....THAT'S why it didn't take long!' He slammed the door shut a disappeared into the house.
***********************************************
Gil Grissom listened intently, his face a mask of boyish innocence as if he was learning something new. Sara Sidle could not make the broad gap-toothed grin any smaller if she'd tried for a hundred years. Nick Stokes could barely contain himself making the others think he was about to have to change his undershorts and Warrick Brown wore a grimace as if the thought of a junior sized Jim Brass running about Vegas was more than his stomach could take.
Catherine sat back in the chair as she finished her tale allowing her friends the chance to digest the latest adventures of their ex-supervisor in the Case of the Cryptic Crossword clues. The amusement of it all hung like a cloud in the air.
'So how big was the cup?' asked Nick. Catherine made her fingers into a circle. 'Oooooh, that's tiny.'
'Agghhhh.,' Warrick groaned. 'This is way too much information for me. I'm outta here, got a home break to go to.' He waved a hand and disappeared.
'So they really going to store it so some poor woman can be subjected to his DNA in future?' Sara was still grinning when she said this.
'Absoloutely. It was a genuine clinic, and they're greatful for all the donations they can get.'
'Is he going back some point, maybe he'll be a regular customer.'
'I have no plans to be Miss Sidle.' Brass stood in the doorway straight faced. 'I prefer making those sorts of deposits elsewhere.' Nick stood by him and slapped him on the shoulder.
'Sara and I have to go. Accident has just come in. Catch ya later..... HOTSHOT!'
'Yeah that's right,' chipped in Sara. 'You know Brass, you look real tired tonight. You shouldn't work so HARD at your job.' Brass closed his eyes and took a deep breath as the two CSI's walked down the corridor making loud converstaion and peppering it with double entendres. This was going to take some time to go away.
'Don't mind them,' said Catherine softly. 'It's just a bit of fun for now. I have to go too.'She pushed her still half full coffe cup into his hand. 'Little girl, sexual assault.' She stopped as she walked past him and touched the back of her hand to his cheek lightly in a suprisingly intimate gesture. 'The blush is burning your face STUD.Try not spill any.' Winking at him, she left.
Brass flopped into a soft chair.
'This is getting too much,' he complained. 'I mean why am I wasting my time with this Gil?'
Grissom placed his glasses on the table and rested his chin on his hand looking at his friend.
'No idea,' he offered. 'It had you rattled enough at the start, and I can't ever remember that happening. Now it appears to have de-generated into humiliation tactics, and for what reason, we don't know.'
'Well, I've had enough. I'm through with chasing round Vegas giving this guy his belly laughs. The paper on my desk is stacking up and I have to be in court next week and I still haven't looked over my case notes for the trial.'
'I see you and Catherine are getting on well.'
'We're friends, that's all.' Brass waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. 'She's just enjoying my little dilema from this morning.'
'Greg is saying you asked her out.' So Sanders had been lurking near the coffee pots again.
'No, not really. I sort of asked her.....you know....we have break together now and again just like you and I do.' Grissom remained quiet and fixed the cop with a solid gaze. 'Alright,' Brass conceeded, 'I asked her out to dinner and she said no. There. Happy?'
'Why should I be happy or unhappy if you go out with one of my CSI's?'
'Well I'm not going out with her. she'd go out with you probably before me and that's not gonna happen either.'
Grissom shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his chair. Brass was even more cranky than usual this evening it appeared. That took some doing normally. He removed the paper from his pocket.
'This appears to be the end of the line,' he said opening it out on the table. 'There's no clue here. Just a poetry quote: Ever let the fancy roam, Pleasure never is at home.'
'It's finished as far as I'm concerned. I know nothing of poetry or fancy and I'm gonna get some work done.' With a sense of finality in his voice, Brass pushed himself up, drained the last of Catherine's coffee and placed the mug in the sink. 'Bin that paper and I'll be in my office if you want me.'
*******************************************
Grissom looked about the break room at CSI with a frown.
'Where's Catherine?' he asked, the puzzled expression still creasing his forehead.
'Still at that indecent assault on the little girl, far as I know' offered Sara.
'She was supposed to be back hours ago.'
'You know she takes extra special care at those,' said Warrick. 'It's like a crime that she has to solve no matter what it takes when little girls are involved.'
Nick unclipped a cell phone from his belt.
'I'll give her a call and tell her to hurry so we can grab some breakfast.' He punched the speed dial number and waited. Nothing. Finally he disconnected and looked at the others. 'It's just ringing out.'
'Did she take a handset radio with her?'
'Don't know, but I'll call dispatch and see if she booked one out.' Sara picked up the receiver of the break room phone. 'She didn't have one when she left at start break time.' After a short conversation with the dispatch desk, Sara grimaced and shook her head. 'Nada.'
Grissom pulled the piece of paper that had been in the envelope given to him by Brass from his trouser pocket and read it again.
'Clues a bum,' Warrick commented watching Grissom's frown become deeper.
'No Warrick, it just doesn't make sense after the others. It's a quote from Keats. The first line of a poem called 'Fancy'. And I don't think this one's a clue. Just a message.'
'So it's about what we want or covert?'
'It's a long time since I read the poem but I think this is a cryptic message.'
'What does Jim like that he can't have?' Nick asked flicking the phone open and dialing Catherine's number again.
'I'm not sure Nick.'
'Still no reply. Pointless asking Jim if he's seen her because I know he's been closeted in his office behind an Everest of paper all night. Besides he's still sulking with us i think.'
'Breakfast sounds good. Catherine's probably just running late.'
*********************************************
Grissom managed no more than two hours of disturbed sleep. He looked at the clock, it was almost lunchtime. Dialing the number of the lab's reception he asked Judy to check the time sheet and log. Catherine had not returned to the lab and had not entered a finish time for her shift. No-one had seen her. No-one had spoken to her. Gil thanked Judy and stepping into the shower began pondering the message again. Now he was worried.
Half an hour later he was rapping loudly on the door of Brass's home. After a few minutes a dischevelled looking detective with mussed hair and a days growth on his face, was fixing him with a lazy eye on the doorstep. Inviting the scientist in, Brass went into the kitchen and began making coffee listening quietly to Grissom relating the problem that had brought him to the door. Placing hot drinks on the table, Brass sat in a chair opposite Grissom.
'So you're not happy?' Jim said eventually.
'I'm worried Jim.'
'Are we thinking this is connected with the notes?'
Grissom shrugged. 'Has to be.'
'But they've all been directed at me. Having me do insane things.I thought eventually I was gonna have to jump of the Stratosphere Tower,naked without a parachute.'
'Catherine is close to you.'
'We've been down this road already Gil. She's a pal like you are,like Nick, the others.'
'Be honest with yourself Jim, you like her more than a friend.'
'Yeah, I think she's sexy, intelligent, she has a great way with animals and kids, and on occassion I have been known to have the odd dream, but I'm happy being her friend. And let's face it,I don't stand a chance with a woman like that.'
'Any more notes?'
'Not last night, but I haven't checked my personal mail yet.' Brass scraped his chair back and went into the hallway. Picking up his mail from a small table there, he flicked through the envelopes. His eyes darkened when he saw a plain, brown manilla envelope with the name 'Mr J Brass' scrawled on in black feltpen. Tearing at it, he removed two papers.
'Well?' Grissom appeared at the door behind him. Brass showed him the two papers.
'Son of a bitch!' yelled Brass angrily.'He asks if I'm missing someone.' He thrust the paper into Grissom's hand. 'The second is another one of those stupid clues.......Goddamn him!' His eyes flashed with an intense anger Grissom so rarely had seen. 'If this is about Cath and he's hurt her I swear to God I'll tear his fucking heart out!'
'Captain Brass will feel at peace in the house of the law.' Grissom read aloud the clue over Brass's shoulder as he still clutched the piece of paper.
'At peace? Is he gonna kill me too. House of the law. What is that? The PD? Is this S.O.B gonna gun me down at the station.'
Grissom shook his head slowly and deliberately. 'No,' he said at length. 'Yes, this is for your benefit but this time the game's about Catherine.'
'Gil we have to find her, and I really have to find out who's doing this.' Jim grabbed his phone and hit the speed dial. 'O'Riley, it's Brass, i need a favour, meet me at the station in a half hour and see if you can locate Vega, we're gonna need him too.... What's this about? Some sicko has Catherine Willows and we need to locate her, fast.' He disconnected the line. Tossing it onto the sofa he headed upstairs. 'Gimme two minutes to shower.' He offered to Grissom over his shoulder.
