Grissom had put off killing Eddie. He wasn't sure he could actually go
through with it. However, tonight was the last night he would be certain
of Eddie's whereabouts. Candeece, his pink-haired girlfriend, had a
recording session for a demo, starting at 10 PM. Williams had listed that
Candeece was a "recovering" drug addict. Grissom had scouted out the
recording studio; it had a convenient side door with easy access to an
alley. He suspected that; at some point, Eddie would usher her outside for
a little shot of something to help ease her nerves.
The night before; he, Warrick and Sara had begun an investigation into the death of one Trey Buckman at The Sinner's Den. They spent hours collecting the evidence. Brass returned just after sunrise. Trey Buckman had a room at The Sphere. The sun was shining brightly by the time they made it there. Another scene to process, it was nearly noon when they finished. He sent Warrick and Sara back to the lab with the evidence then home to get some rest. He headed for the morgue. Doc Robbins would be wrapping up the autopsy by now. It was after 3 by the time he got home.
He was keyed up and couldn't sleep; around 5, he began putting his plan in motion. He had no way of knowing that Eddie and Catherine were currently attending a school play in which Lindsey was portraying Sleeping Beauty. He had certainly succeeded in distancing himself from Catherine. He checked the weather on the Internet. Thunderstorms, it read. He put a rain suit in his Tahoe, got some plastic sheeting to put over the seat of his Mercedes. A wet leather seat would be a bad thing. He drove the Mercedes to a commuter parking lot a block away from the crime lab. He called a taxi from a payphone. He had it drop him at an apartment complex two blocks from his townhouse.
He arrived at the crime lab at 6:40. He laid the evidence from The Sinner's Den out on a lab bench. Warrick arrived around 7:30. Within an hour, they had identified a ladies stiletto as the murder weapon.
"I'll call Brass. He can round up a group of likely "Cinderella's" for us. Help Sara with the evidence from the hotel room, Warrick." Grissom instructed. He took the stiletto with him. Time might be short tonight. It would be best to have it with him.
After calling Brass, Grissom went through the paperwork on his desk. Catherine poked her head in his office at 9:30. Nick was right behind her. "You two have a decomposing dead body at an apartment complex." He handed the slip to Catherine. She and Nick left for the crime scene immediately.
He made certain that Warrick and Sara were busy, then slipped into the one lab that had direct outside access, albeit the roof. He donned the rain suit and climbed the ladder to the roof of the CSI building. He got to his Mercedes by 9:50. He was glad he put plastic sheeting over the leather seat because it was raining hard by the time he arrived. He drove to the alley outside the recording studio. It took him twenty minutes. He retrieved the twenty-two from the glove box. He made sure it was fully loaded. He made his way into the shadows at the side of the building and prepared to wait. He didn't wait long.
Five minutes later, a woman with pink hair came out the side door of the studio. "Must be Candeece." Grissom mused. A man pulled up on a Harley. "What kind of idiot would ride a motorcycle in this mess?" Grissom questioned. Harley guy spoke with Candeece briefly then headed back to the bike. Just then, Eddie pulled up. He and Candeece began to argue. Harley guy returned and joined the argument. Grissom stepped from the side of the building and fired the twenty-two. He stepped back into the shadows. He was maybe ten feet from them but in the downpour he doubted they noticed him. Eddie grabbed at his chest and stomach. Harley guy hopped on his bike and beat it out of there. Candeece rushed Eddie toward his car. Grissom waited until they sped away, then got in the Mercedes and drove to his townhouse. He parked the car in his garage, hid the gun, grabbed the plastic sheeting out the car and shoved it in the trash. He had minutes to make the bus stop half a block away.
He wasn't sure the shot would actually kill Eddie. It had been hard to see in the pouring rain. "Damn, I should've fired more than once!" He thought. He hadn't emptied the gun as he had been trained to do because that was a sure sign of someone in law enforcement. It appeared Eddie was, at least, gut shot. However, he had been aiming for his heart. He knew he had missed his target.
His cell rang just as he neared the lab. He answered immediately. It was Brass who glibly informed him. "Your ladies await, Prince Charming." It was almost 11:30.
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Grissom answered. He went directly to his Tahoe, stripped off the rain suit and stuffed it in the back. He headed off to play "Prince Charming" and wait for a call to send a CSI to investigate the shooting of Eddie Willows. He already planned to send Sara. She would be the least likely to suspect him, mainly because she seemed completely besotted by him. Why, he couldn't imagine, although, he had done his best to "fan the flames" of her infatuation recently. Too be brutally honest, he didn't care. She was one more card to use to stack the deck in order for him to get away with murder. He was playing to win.
The call for a CSI came quickly. He had just arrived, spoken with Brass and informed his "Cinderella's" of the "stiletto" test. He had to excuse himself for a moment. He went to the bathroom and vomited until all he could do was dry heave. "Lindsey was in the car with Eddie." It kept going through his mind. High-strung Candeece had run the car off the road into a storm drain then fled the scene leaving Lindsey trapped in the sinking car. Lindsey had come close to drowning. She had had the presence of mind to find Eddie's cell phone and call Catherine. "Oh, sweet Jesus. I nearly killed Lindsey." Grissom placed his forehead against the cool metal of the stall. He felt he was losing his mind, certainly his balance.
He shakily returned to begin the business of matching shoe to foot. When they found the matching foot, Brass took her in for questioning. Grissom was fairly certain Brass had yet to hear about Eddie. Vega had the case and was still in the field. He was desperate to call Catherine. To hear her voice, see her and Lindsey and know they were all right. He knew he couldn't risk it.
Lady Luck favored Grissom that night. He went to the police station to obtain a DNA sample from "the lady of the stiletto" as he had dubbed her. She and Brass were alone. Grissom watched her sit on the table, turn her body toward Brass, lift her leg to place it on the side of his chair and give him a peak of the fact that she wore no panties. Grissom rapped on the glass pane of the door.
"Excuse me, Jim, am I interrupting something?" Grissom inquired. He smiled. Brass would be off-kilter for the rest of the night.
"Gil, please." Brass huskily replied.
"Miss, I'm gonna need a sample of your DNA." Grissom informed the lovely blond seated on the table.
"How do you want it?" She asked.
"I like your hair." He responded, flirting just a little.
"I like yours." She replied, continuing their flirtation.
"Are you a, ah, a natural blonde?" Grissom inquired. She looked pointedly at Brass. Grissom also looked at Brass and arched his brows in question. Brass shook his head slightly in a negative gesture. Grissom deftly plucked some strands of her hair with his tweezers.
"Ow!" She exclaimed.
"Sorry! I needed a follicular tag." Grissom interjected, somewhat contritely. He placed the hairs in a sample envelope. "Thank you." He headed for the door.
"Gil?" He paused. "Any chance you found my thong?" The blonde asked. He gave her a questioning look. "Silver lame, probably twisted in knots?" She added.
"Oh, yeah. We did. You'll need to fill out a form. The Captain will help you. Surely." Grissom replied and exited the room.
When he returned to the lab, he checked in with Warrick, then Nick. Bury yourself in work and don't think about it had been his mantra for the night. Nick showed him the information from, decomposing dead guy, Croix Richard's laptop. It appeared they were working the same case and it led to Lady Heather's Dominion. As far as Grissom was concerned, this was a fantastic development. Brass was quite taken by Lady Heather. One more thing to distract the Captain from giving the death of Eddie Willows' any thought.
The night before; he, Warrick and Sara had begun an investigation into the death of one Trey Buckman at The Sinner's Den. They spent hours collecting the evidence. Brass returned just after sunrise. Trey Buckman had a room at The Sphere. The sun was shining brightly by the time they made it there. Another scene to process, it was nearly noon when they finished. He sent Warrick and Sara back to the lab with the evidence then home to get some rest. He headed for the morgue. Doc Robbins would be wrapping up the autopsy by now. It was after 3 by the time he got home.
He was keyed up and couldn't sleep; around 5, he began putting his plan in motion. He had no way of knowing that Eddie and Catherine were currently attending a school play in which Lindsey was portraying Sleeping Beauty. He had certainly succeeded in distancing himself from Catherine. He checked the weather on the Internet. Thunderstorms, it read. He put a rain suit in his Tahoe, got some plastic sheeting to put over the seat of his Mercedes. A wet leather seat would be a bad thing. He drove the Mercedes to a commuter parking lot a block away from the crime lab. He called a taxi from a payphone. He had it drop him at an apartment complex two blocks from his townhouse.
He arrived at the crime lab at 6:40. He laid the evidence from The Sinner's Den out on a lab bench. Warrick arrived around 7:30. Within an hour, they had identified a ladies stiletto as the murder weapon.
"I'll call Brass. He can round up a group of likely "Cinderella's" for us. Help Sara with the evidence from the hotel room, Warrick." Grissom instructed. He took the stiletto with him. Time might be short tonight. It would be best to have it with him.
After calling Brass, Grissom went through the paperwork on his desk. Catherine poked her head in his office at 9:30. Nick was right behind her. "You two have a decomposing dead body at an apartment complex." He handed the slip to Catherine. She and Nick left for the crime scene immediately.
He made certain that Warrick and Sara were busy, then slipped into the one lab that had direct outside access, albeit the roof. He donned the rain suit and climbed the ladder to the roof of the CSI building. He got to his Mercedes by 9:50. He was glad he put plastic sheeting over the leather seat because it was raining hard by the time he arrived. He drove to the alley outside the recording studio. It took him twenty minutes. He retrieved the twenty-two from the glove box. He made sure it was fully loaded. He made his way into the shadows at the side of the building and prepared to wait. He didn't wait long.
Five minutes later, a woman with pink hair came out the side door of the studio. "Must be Candeece." Grissom mused. A man pulled up on a Harley. "What kind of idiot would ride a motorcycle in this mess?" Grissom questioned. Harley guy spoke with Candeece briefly then headed back to the bike. Just then, Eddie pulled up. He and Candeece began to argue. Harley guy returned and joined the argument. Grissom stepped from the side of the building and fired the twenty-two. He stepped back into the shadows. He was maybe ten feet from them but in the downpour he doubted they noticed him. Eddie grabbed at his chest and stomach. Harley guy hopped on his bike and beat it out of there. Candeece rushed Eddie toward his car. Grissom waited until they sped away, then got in the Mercedes and drove to his townhouse. He parked the car in his garage, hid the gun, grabbed the plastic sheeting out the car and shoved it in the trash. He had minutes to make the bus stop half a block away.
He wasn't sure the shot would actually kill Eddie. It had been hard to see in the pouring rain. "Damn, I should've fired more than once!" He thought. He hadn't emptied the gun as he had been trained to do because that was a sure sign of someone in law enforcement. It appeared Eddie was, at least, gut shot. However, he had been aiming for his heart. He knew he had missed his target.
His cell rang just as he neared the lab. He answered immediately. It was Brass who glibly informed him. "Your ladies await, Prince Charming." It was almost 11:30.
"Okay, I'll be there in a few minutes." Grissom answered. He went directly to his Tahoe, stripped off the rain suit and stuffed it in the back. He headed off to play "Prince Charming" and wait for a call to send a CSI to investigate the shooting of Eddie Willows. He already planned to send Sara. She would be the least likely to suspect him, mainly because she seemed completely besotted by him. Why, he couldn't imagine, although, he had done his best to "fan the flames" of her infatuation recently. Too be brutally honest, he didn't care. She was one more card to use to stack the deck in order for him to get away with murder. He was playing to win.
The call for a CSI came quickly. He had just arrived, spoken with Brass and informed his "Cinderella's" of the "stiletto" test. He had to excuse himself for a moment. He went to the bathroom and vomited until all he could do was dry heave. "Lindsey was in the car with Eddie." It kept going through his mind. High-strung Candeece had run the car off the road into a storm drain then fled the scene leaving Lindsey trapped in the sinking car. Lindsey had come close to drowning. She had had the presence of mind to find Eddie's cell phone and call Catherine. "Oh, sweet Jesus. I nearly killed Lindsey." Grissom placed his forehead against the cool metal of the stall. He felt he was losing his mind, certainly his balance.
He shakily returned to begin the business of matching shoe to foot. When they found the matching foot, Brass took her in for questioning. Grissom was fairly certain Brass had yet to hear about Eddie. Vega had the case and was still in the field. He was desperate to call Catherine. To hear her voice, see her and Lindsey and know they were all right. He knew he couldn't risk it.
Lady Luck favored Grissom that night. He went to the police station to obtain a DNA sample from "the lady of the stiletto" as he had dubbed her. She and Brass were alone. Grissom watched her sit on the table, turn her body toward Brass, lift her leg to place it on the side of his chair and give him a peak of the fact that she wore no panties. Grissom rapped on the glass pane of the door.
"Excuse me, Jim, am I interrupting something?" Grissom inquired. He smiled. Brass would be off-kilter for the rest of the night.
"Gil, please." Brass huskily replied.
"Miss, I'm gonna need a sample of your DNA." Grissom informed the lovely blond seated on the table.
"How do you want it?" She asked.
"I like your hair." He responded, flirting just a little.
"I like yours." She replied, continuing their flirtation.
"Are you a, ah, a natural blonde?" Grissom inquired. She looked pointedly at Brass. Grissom also looked at Brass and arched his brows in question. Brass shook his head slightly in a negative gesture. Grissom deftly plucked some strands of her hair with his tweezers.
"Ow!" She exclaimed.
"Sorry! I needed a follicular tag." Grissom interjected, somewhat contritely. He placed the hairs in a sample envelope. "Thank you." He headed for the door.
"Gil?" He paused. "Any chance you found my thong?" The blonde asked. He gave her a questioning look. "Silver lame, probably twisted in knots?" She added.
"Oh, yeah. We did. You'll need to fill out a form. The Captain will help you. Surely." Grissom replied and exited the room.
When he returned to the lab, he checked in with Warrick, then Nick. Bury yourself in work and don't think about it had been his mantra for the night. Nick showed him the information from, decomposing dead guy, Croix Richard's laptop. It appeared they were working the same case and it led to Lady Heather's Dominion. As far as Grissom was concerned, this was a fantastic development. Brass was quite taken by Lady Heather. One more thing to distract the Captain from giving the death of Eddie Willows' any thought.