Cauchemar Part 8: All Necessary Precautions By koaladeb Disclaimer info in part 1

After reviewing the profile, everyone began picking up their files, preparing to go back to work. Horatio leaned over to Calleigh. "Would you mind sticking around for a moment?" he asked. "There's something I want to talk to you about regarding the case."

Calleigh nodded and sat back down, mildly intrigued by Horatio's request. She waited quietly while everyone else left, keeping her attention on Horatio, who had remained standing, watching the others depart. Once the room was empty and the door closed, he turned to her slowly, hesitation in his movements. Calleigh frowned. Horatio was never hesitant-his movements always smacked of the confident, decisive personality that she admired so much in him. Calleigh remained silent, not wanting to interrupt whatever he was thinking in that moment.

Horatio finally looked up and met her inquisitive look with one of discomfort. He wasn't sure how to say this without overstepping the boundaries Calleigh had been so methodical in setting up, but he was bothered by part of profile and needed to share his concerns with her. "Did you notice anything particularly interesting about the profile?" he began.

Calleigh thought for a moment, knowing what was coming. Dread and relief mixed within her as she prepared herself for the oncoming discussion. He had noticed the same thing she had. "I assume you're talking about the fact that I fit the victim's profile and live within the target area." she said bluntly, deciding that bluntness was the best way to move this conversation along quickly.

Horatio nodded and looked away from her, focusing on the map that was still up on the computer screen. He still wasn't sure how to continue this. He turned back to face her, deciding to take his cue from her and be blunt. "I am. I know that you can take care of yourself, Calleigh. I just don't like the idea of a serial killer on the loose anywhere near you."

Calleigh was about to bite out a remark about her ability to protect herself but stopped as she saw the honest concern radiating off Horatio. He wasn't underestimating her, he was just concerned. There was no need to blow this out of proportion. She nodded at him, letting Horatio know that she understood the spirit in which he had made his comments. "I'm taking all necessary precautions." She saw the flash of recognition in his eyes as he placed where he had heard that comment before. Calleigh picked up her folder and left the room before he could say anything else. She had purposely chosen the same exact words she had used to deflect his concern for her safety when Hank Kerner had been after her. She was sending a subtle message to not concern himself with her safety and to keep his attention focused on other matters. Hopefully, he read her loud and clear.

Horatio bit back expletives as Calleigh walked out on him. Did she think that he would just stay out of it when her thought her safety might be at risk? He had understood the message she was sending, but she had another thought coming if she honestly believed that he would sit idly by while she was in danger.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the next couple of days, everyone sifted through the evidence they had gathered yet again, reexamining everything in light of the profile. Monday night, they had worked late, setting up an area in one of the labs where they could lay all the facts out and work on theories of how the murders took place, how the bodies were kept so clean, how the victims were moved to the dumping sites without picking up any fresh evidence. The profile was displayed with each characteristic explained in full detail using evidence from the scenes. They also made conjectures to fill in gaps in the profile. They had a board set up with questions and comments like "Has access to medical supplies: gloves, sterile equipment, etc." Another board was dedicated to the victims, how they were selected, every last similarity between the two women listed. Yet another area detailed anything that could be a part of the killer's signature: the wigs, robe, talcum powder and forensic detail were prominent here, and lists of schools and law enforcement agencies with forensic education were listed along with areas of expertise demonstrated by the killer. During spare moments, members of the team would go to the area, looking at the facts and struggling to find some common thread that linked everything together.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wednesday morning, everyone was woken early once again with the discovery of yet another body. Calleigh dragged herself to the crime scene, this time only five miles from her apartment. Last night she had only gotten two hours of sleep after she had stayed up into the early morning walking through her apartment. She was still getting a feeling that something was different or out of place, but every time she looked, everything was precisely where it should be, down to the order of pictures on her shelves to the spread of fashion magazines that littered her coffee table. She had gone so far as to plant items around the house, checking to see if they had been disturbed, but again came up empty. Eventually, Calleigh had decided that lack of sleep and concerns over the serial killer were making her paranoid and went to bed.

The only good thing about having a murder in her backyard was that Calleigh was the first CSI to arrive on the scene. She pulled her kit out of the car, walking over to the body, eyes resting on the girl's wig, a short, retro blonde cut that Calleigh remembered seeing in Cosmo the previous week. Turning her eyes to the woman's face, Calleigh registered a disturbing change in the killer's MO. She pulled on gloves and knelt by the body, leaning over the victim's head to examine the curious bruises that spread out on either side of the mouth. She noticed that there were also lines of moisture trailing down towards the jaw on each side of the face as well. She looked around to see if Alexx had arrived and was grateful to see her walking towards the scene. Calleigh waved at her to get her to come quickly and Alexx obliged, stepping up her tired pace. As soon as she came over, Calleigh pointed out the bruises and lines. "Check these out-what do you make of it?"

Alexx knelt, pulling on gloves and examining the victims face before opening her mouth and looking inside. "I don't know-there's some chips in her back teeth as well. Possibly some kind of bar or restraint was forced into her mouth. Roughly, too, from the bruising around the lips. Those lines you pointed out were made by saliva. This is bizarre. If she is like the previous victims, then she would have been unconscious when she was killed, so there is no need to restrain her head like this. The only reason would be additional brutality."

"But why start now? Why change your MO?" Calleigh questioned out loud.

"Probably to toy with us more," Horatio's voice rang out beside them. Calleigh and Alexx looked up sharply. Horatio continued, "I got here as Alexx was explaining her findings. Maybe the killer decided that we weren't picking up on whatever it was he was trying to say with what little clues he gave us, so he thought he'd up the ante. He's getting arrogant."

Calleigh turned her attention back to the victim. What message is this guy trying to send? There was something about this that was familiar, especially the marks around the mouth, but whatever is was that spoke to her disappeared. It was time to focus on the body and gathering any evidence that might have been left. Horatio was right-the killer was getting more confident, leaving the body in a more populated area where he would have been easier to see. It would only work against him in the future-the less he thought about their ability to catch him, the bigger risks he would take.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scene processed and evidence collected, everyone headed back to the lab to run tests on new samples. The day progressed and the search for new clues continued, but just as with the previous murders, they were left with nothing to run. Days followed and again, the only new information gathered was from the victim's family as they told investigators about another life cut short, of another girl who had done nothing but go out for a walk to meet friends. Alexx finished analyzing the wounds in and around the girl's mouth and came to the conclusion that the killer had forced some kind of bit into the victim's mouth, pushing down hard enough to leave a bruise, chipping her back molars in the process. He had left it there long enough for the lines of spit to work their way down the girl's face. No one could figure out why he had done it, especially since he had not cleaned her face as well, spreading talcum powder over the rest of her body but leaving the area from her cheek bones to her jaw line alone.

Eric worked like a demon on the powder, eliminating possible manufacturers, finishing the list ob Saturday afternoon. He found no match. He couldn't understand-of all the talcum manufacturers he had talked to, no one had been able to claim a product that matched their sample in color, and the scent was still unidentified. He had spent hours trying to find a similar smell, even going to the mall and scouring Bath and Body Works for anything that came close. Calleigh came by at least once a day, sitting with a sample with an introspective look on her face, her eyes looking off in the distance, sifting though memories. She still swore that the scent was familiar, but could never place its origin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was nearly 11:00 on Sunday night when Horatio came into the trace lab where Calleigh was running some final tests on fiber samples from the robes. She was hoping to find some kind of variance between the samples to see if the killer had purchased them all from the same dye lot or if he had bought them one at a time. She saw him enter and gave him a partial smile, not surprised that he was still working, too. "If you brought coffee with you, you'll be my favorite person for a week, I swear," she joked.

Horatio snorted, a smile appearing and disappearing just as quickly. "I wish, but all I have to offer is a request that you go home and get some sleep. This will still be here tomorrow. Does that rate me favorite person for a day?"

Calleigh gave off a mock sigh and shook her head. Sleep sounded good. "You can be my favorite person for the rest of today, which means you only have." she looked up at the clock, "one hour remaining in your reign. If you want to keep your status after that, it will cost you coffee."

Horatio chuckled, enjoying their banter. If coffee could buy him more easy conversations like this one, then coffee the woman would have. "Just call me Juan Valdez. You'll have a fresh cup on your desk tomorrow morning. For now, finish up what you're doing and go home. You look completely wiped out. Are you getting enough sleep?"

Calleigh nodded absently, grabbing the report that had just printed and scanning it. It distracted her enough that she didn't stop herself from giving him a completely honest answer. "I just have to power down some of the equipment and then I'm gone. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night-I thought someone had been in my apartment and stayed up to check it out." As soon as the words came out of her mouth she realized her mistake. She looked up quickly to see Horatio stiffen in alarm. She tired to backtrack. "Now Horatio, don't jump to conclusions."

He stopped her before she could say another word. "Like what? That you might be this guy's next target? Tell me exactly what is going on, Calleigh, or I swear to God that I won't let you within five feet of your apartment without a police escort." His voice held barely checked anger- anger at Calleigh for not confiding in him, anger because he did not want to admit to the stab of fear that shot through him at her offhand remark.

Calleigh felt the anger rise in herself as well. "Nothing is going on. I thought something was off and when I checked it out, there was nothing wrong. Just my mind playing tricks on me. I probably wouldn't have been bothered at all if it hadn't been for your "you fit the victim profile" routine the other day. I don't need protection, Horatio. There are no monsters hiding under the bed in my apartment. Leave it alone."

"I won't leave it alone. You could be in danger!" he spat out.

"There is nothing that indicates that I'm anywhere on this guy's radar." Calleigh said, meeting Horatio's vehemence and raising her voice in return. "Like I told you before, I'm taking all necessary precautions. He's not going to get anywhere near me. Stop intruding on my life here!"

Horatio was suddenly glad that they were the only two left in the lab. That way, no one else would be around to see this argument. At least they were finally communicating at a level that went beyond the professional or superficial, which Calleigh had continued to hold him at. He continued to push. "Intruding? Is that what you call being a concerned friend? Or have you decided that I can't be your friend anymore either?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been keeping me at a polite distance for weeks now, throwing every attempt I make to talk to you back in my face!"

"What do you call this? And lunch last Saturday? And all the times we've worked together? We're talking!"

"Not like we used to. You talk, yes. But you don't say anything. Not anything that lets me see beyond the wall that you've put up between us, at any rate. Why won't you let me in? Why won't you trust me?"

Calleigh froze, unable to answer his question. He was right, she had held him away, but it was only because she wasn't able to bear keeping him close and watching him look right through her. She felt the anger leave her, leaving a tired, numb felling in its wake. She dropped her head and answered, her voice quiet. "I'm sorry if you feel that way. There's nothing else I can say about it. Now I'm tired and want to go to bed. Please excuse me."

Horatio almost cried out in frustration. He had been so close! They were finally getting somewhere and she had just shut down! He knew Calleigh well enough to recognize that she was finished with their conversation, but he couldn't let go of it as quickly. "I don't understand, Calleigh," he said quietly, resignation and regret sounding loud and clear in his tone. "If I did something, then I wish you'd tell me. Or at least let me know how long I'm going to have to do penance."

Calleigh's snapped up, her eyes focused on something far away.penance.penance. she had something, and just as quickly lost it again. What is it about that word? Her focus reverted back to the man in front of her. She shook her head. She needed sleep. She was grateful when Horatio stood aside and let her leave without further comment. She walked down the hall, feeling a little guilty that she had met his concern with anger. She needed to do something to let him know that she wasn't mad at him. Just before she rounded a corner, she turned back toward him, noting with sadness the disappointed slump in his shoulders. "Don't forget the sugar," she said, just loud enough for him to hear. She saw his head come up and a weak smile cross his face. She nodded and then continued walking towards the exit.

Horatio watched her until she was completely out of sight. He knew that the last threads of their conversation had been severed as soon as she had focused on something he couldn't identify. There was nothing left to say, so he had let her go without further comment. He picked up a little when she had turned back to him, and her words brought him a little comfort. Whatever it was that had come between them, she wasn't angry. "Don't forget the sugar," he repeated to himself. "As if I could forget anything about you." But she was too far away to hear his reply.