Here's chapter 2. See chapter 1 for disclaimer and other required fine
print. I'll try to get more posted as soon as I can. We're ready to enter
my favorite part of this story now, but I had to lay the groundwork first.
***
"To sleep; perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
***
Miami was never really dark at night, but the lights blazing inside the pharmacy and the red and blue lights swirling outside set Horatio's teeth on edge. The safety had been disrupted in his city. He took it as a personal offense. He entered the building to find Tripp standing at a careful distance, staring at the dead body slumped over the computer desk. Tripp turned to face him.
"No one's been past the counter except the first responding officer, to check for vital signs."
"Good. Alexx is coming." Horatio eyed the man. He had apparently been shot, although they would have to straighten him up to be sure. His head rested on his arms, and blood pooled on his computer keyboard. Horatio's eyes went past the body to scan the rest of the room and froze. "There's a security camera."
"Saw that," Tripp grunted. "Got that much, anyway."
"Why do you suppose the man didn't get up? He looks like he was still just sitting there. He should have reacted when they burst in and the alarm went off. Reached for the phone, stood up, something."
"Maybe it happened too fast," Tripp suggested.
"If they broke in and shot him that quickly, they already had the gun out and ready. And why break in on the night he was working late, anyway? Why not just wait for a better opportunity. The other pharmacy was so meticulous and thought out, but this one is much more reckless." He glanced from the man behind the counter to the door, gauging sight lines. He would have been clearly visible to the perps, who had entered through the main door, triggering the alarm. He might have been too preoccupied with his work to see them outside, but they would have known he was there. Horatio's lips compressed slightly. This whole scenario felt odd.
"You think it isn't connected with the other one?" Tripp asked.
"We don't know yet. I'm not assuming anything. If it was the same perps, they became a lot more careless since yesterday. We need to check victimology here, too. They saw him ahead of time. He might be the goal here, not the drugs."
Alexx and Speed arrived almost together. Horatio and Tripp both immediately inspected Speed's socks, which were a matching set of subdued brown. Alexx looked from one of them to the other. "Am I missing something?"
"You never do," Horatio said silkily. "Get some pictures first, Speed. Only the first responding officer has been past the counter since the perps. We've got an almost undisturbed crime scene."
"Wonders never cease." Speed pulled out his camera and started snapping shots. Alexx stood by patiently. She sometimes wished that her skills were used in healing life, like she had originally intended in medical school, not just in pursuing those who took it. She would swear that her victims talked to her in ways, but she didn't get to do the kind of healing she had once dreamed of. On the other hand, seeing criminals brought down, seeing families brought peace, seeing victims brought justice was rewarding. This wasn't what she had first planned, but given the opportunity, she wouldn't change it. The dead needed someone to speak for them.
Speed stepped back. "All yours," he said, and Alexx moved in. Horatio glided alongside her instantly, ready to help as well as observe. They straightened the victim in his chair. A single bullet hole was between the eyes.
"Almost execution style," said Alexx.
Horatio nodded. "I would give you good odds at this point that this man knew his killer."
"Or the killer knew him, at least," Speed put in.
"Right," Horatio conceded. "Probably the same thing, but not necessarily." He looked around again, absorbing the scene. "Speed, be sure you get the tape from that security camera. Tripp is already contacting the owner. This pharmacy will be closed all day, and we won't rush this scene as much. Look for any similarities, but don't overlook differences. At this point, we can't say they were done by the same perps."
"Right, H." Speed was still shooting pictures. He had moved into the rows of medicine, taking pictures of the open drawers. This crime had been committed much faster than the other, and the drawers were left hanging open. "Hydrocodone again," said Speed.
"Mmm," Horatio acknowledged. He headed back out to the front to look at the door. This door had had the glass panel broken in and then additional glass beaten out. If the man behind the counter hadn't had at least a few seconds warning, he must have been deaf. Horatio surveyed the broken glass edges carefully and soon found what he was looking for. "One of them cut himself breaking in." He surveyed the red-edged glass with triumph and pulled out a swab. "And where there's blood, there's DNA."
Alexx came back around the counter. "I'm ready to move him, Horatio." She glanced at her watch. "I'll just go on to CSI. I'll call you when the autopsy is done."
"Thank you, Alexx," he said. "Sorry to drag you out at this hour."
She smiled at him sadly. "It is our job."
"Yes," he said, with regretful determination. "It is."
***
Calleigh tried to make herself work on the ballistics from that shootout, but her ears were on edge, waiting for his call. He had said he would call. She put her cell phone on the table and stared at it. It didn't seem to notice her prompting. She sighed and resumed her efforts at work. She was already feeling tired, too, which was a bad sign this early in the work day. She could have used that extra three hours of sleep. On the other hand, her mind revolted at the thought of going to sleep. As long as she was awake, she wouldn't have the dream.
The phone rang, and she dove at it, nearly knocking it off the table, not even looking at the caller ID. "Horatio?" she asked frantically.
"No such luck." It was Adele. "Just me, I'm afraid. How's the ballistics work coming on our gang shoot out?"
"Slowly," Calleigh said. "I'm sorry, Adele, but this case is a nightmare. They kept changing guns and shooting from different spots."
"Not nice of them," Adele quipped. "Criminals are getting so inconsiderate these days."
Calleigh didn't laugh. What if he's trying to call right now, and we're tying up the phone, she thought. "Look, Adele, I'll get it as soon as I can, but this one is going to take a few days. I'm doing my best."
"I know. Doesn't really matter to holding them. The survivors are so busy fingering the other gang's survivors that we've got at least one witness to testify for everyone there. They all want to deal. The DA's going to love this case."
"I'm sure. Was there anything else, Adele?"
"Not really, just wanted a progress report." The detective paused for a second. "Are you okay, Calleigh? You sound a little edgy."
Her being okay wasn't the question here. "Fine. Just a little tired. Tripp woke us up at 3:30 wanting Horatio, and I couldn't get back to sleep." It suddenly occurred to her that if Horatio had been shot out on the case this morning, Adele would have heard it. "You haven't heard anything from Tripp on that one, have you?"
"He came through about 30 minutes ago, still grumbling about yesterday's pharmacy. Horatio won't say they're connected, but he won't say they aren't. Tripp wants an answer."
Calleigh grinned suddenly, picturing Horatio and Tripp having that exchange. Obviously, Horatio had been fine within the last hour. "He can't hurry the evidence. I can't either, Adele. I'll keep you posted."
"Fine. Talk to you later." Adele finally hung up, and Calleigh returned her cell phone to the table and waited for it to ring again. It apparently had joined a conspiracy with the evidence and wouldn't be hurried. She sighed and resumed her own work.
"Calleigh." The interruption came from Eric this time, and in person, not by phone. He stood in the doorway. "Finished yet?"
She whirled around with an expression that backed him off a half step. "No, I'm not finished yet. You try sorting this one out."
"No, thanks," he replied with his easy grin, defusing the situation by insisting that he saw nothing dangerous in it. Calleigh felt herself start to return his smile. It was hardly Eric's fault that he wasn't Horatio.
"What about you? Do you have everything processed and every report filed on your end?"
"Hardly." He extended both hands, and she suddenly realized that he had two coffee cups. "I just wanted some coffee, and I thought you could probably use some, too, given the ballistics in this case."
She really smiled at him that time. "Thanks, Eric. You're right, I do." She reached out to take her cup and nearly dropped it in the exchange as the phone rang. Eric hadn't quite released the cup yet, and he caught it just in time as Calleigh pounced on the phone like a cat on a mouse, giving it no opportunity to escape. "Hello?"
"Hi, Beautiful." His incomparable voice teased her ear, sounding reassuringly alive.
"Hi, Horatio. Just a sec." She turned back to Eric and took her cup from him. "Thank you, Eric. You're a lifesaver. Now scram." Eric gave her a mock salute and vanished, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Those two were so funny sometimes, almost like teenagers.
"Sorry, Horatio," Calleigh said.
"Are we alone now?"
"Can't speak for you, but the coast is clear on my end."
He chuckled. "Speed just left with the first bits of evidence to process from here, so I'm safe. I'll finish up here myself. I want Speed to work on the video tape."
Ridiculously, she felt a little better that Speed was no longer with him. "You've got a video tape?"
"Yes. Security camera. We've also got DNA."
"And a victim."
The lilt fell out of his voice. "That, too. Enough about my end. Which life did Eric save currently?"
"Mine. He brought me coffee."
"Did you get back to sleep after I left?"
Now why did he have to ask her that? "Um, well."
He interpreted that response correctly. "Are you okay, Calleigh?"
"I'm fine." She longed to ask him the same question, but he would really find that odd. "Just missed a few hours sleep. So did you, for that matter."
"Don't work late tonight. That's an order from your boss. You go home and go to bed early."
Again, the thought of sleep terrified her. Especially sleep without him. "You ought to do the same thing."
He hesitated. "I'll see. This case is getting more complicated all the time."
"Not a simple drug robbery to turn a quick profit?"
"Not a simple anything. This was almost an execution this morning. I'm interested in getting the report on that tape." He chuckled suddenly. "By the way, Speed was wearing matching socks today. Even with getting waked up at 3:30."
Calleigh tried to smile and match his light tone, but the socks reminded her of Speed falling over the stool, which reminded her of the dream. "I'll bet Breeze picked them out for him this morning," she said, but she sounded more tired than joking.
"Are you sure you're okay, Cal?"
"Fine," she said.
He hesitated for another second, then moved on, to her relief. "I'd better get back to work."
"So should I, before the boss catches me at it."
He laughed. "See you later. Take care of yourself, Calleigh. Let me talk to Rosalind for a second." She pushed the phone against the bulge in her abdomen, smiling at the thought of Horatio and his daughter. If Horatio lived to see her. The smile faded, and she pulled the phone back to her ear.
"You take care of yourself too, Horatio."
"I always do. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye."
Calleigh ended the call and put the phone back on the table, still within easy reach, in case another call came. Just as long as it was from him, and not from some official informing her of his death. She gave herself a mental shake and buried her thoughts in her work again. Or at least tried to.
***
Horatio worked in the pharmacy until late that afternoon, determined not to miss anything here. They had been gifted with an undisturbed crime scene. They had to take full advantage of it. He was having trouble concentrating himself, though, worrying about Calleigh. He'd been busy the last few days but not so busy that he failed to notice that something was bothering her. Something other than just being pregnant. She really seemed to be having few problems with pregnancy so far, and they were both glad of it. But if pregnancy wasn't the problem, what was? He was missing vital evidence here. He recognized the feeling instantly from his work.
His cell phone interrupted him three times during the afternoon. One call was from Alexx, reporting her autopsy findings. Nothing they hadn't already known. The man had been killed with a single shot, and he was looking straight at his killer. She had sent drug tests. Sometimes pharmacists can succumb to temptation and become addicts.
The second call was from Speed reporting on the video tape. "He definitely knew them, H. They were wearing stocking masks. Broke the door and bolted in, and he started to get up, then froze and dropped back down. Three perps, and the lead one already had the gun out. They talked for a second while the other two perps went around the counter and grabbed drugs. Then the lead perp shot the pharmacist after talking to him a bit, and they left. They also grabbed some Sudafed from the front part of the store on their way out." Sudafed contained ingredients which in large quantities could be useful in manufacturing meth.
"Does the angle show which one broke the glass on the door?"
"No."
"So we can't say if the DNA is from the murderer."
"Sorry, H."
"Well, keep going on the other samples. Especially that blood."
"Running it now. Anything new there?"
"I found some kind of residue in one of the aisles. I think it may have come from a perp's shoes. Looks like the same as yesterday's. I'll bring it back by CSI in a bit. On the tape before the break in, Speed, did the cleaning crew come by earlier in the evening?"
"Yeah. Floors had just been cleaned. They left right before the manager did. Then the one pharmacist came in two hours later and was doing computer work."
"We'll compare it to his shoes, but I think it goes with a perp. There was residue in that other pharmacy, too, but we don't have the tape there to prove the floors were just cleaned. We need to find out from Alvarez about the cleaning crew schedule on that pharmacy."
"The vic was only in the aisles once or twice. He mostly stayed at the computer. Has to be from a perp, I'd say."
"Good work, Speed. Keep me posted."
"Will do." Speed hung up, and the phone rang almost immediately. It was Tripp.
"Well, do you have my answer yet?"
"I don't know, Tripp. I just talked to Speed. We have a few leads, but we're still processing the evidence."
Tripp almost growled. "Come on, Horatio. I'm not Johnny Cochran, and you're not on the stand. Do you think they're connected?"
Horatio relented. "Yes. But don't hold me to it yet."
"I won't," Tripp agreed, but he would have placed a large bet that Horatio was right.
"What about Alvarez's son? Any more luck with him?"
"Nope. He knows nothing. Amazing the number of high school seniors we run across that know nothing. Makes you worry about the country sometimes."
"Maybe his education will improve as we go along. No fingerprints from that first pharmacy, but he could have worn gloves. Someone disabled that lock, so someone knew the code. If we could get his tennis shoes, we could try to match a residue sample. I found residue here that looks the same. Some kind of dirt, but mixed with something else."
"Has Speed identified it yet?"
"No, he hasn't had time. Too much else. He'll run it and compare both samples as soon as I get this one over there."
"What about the tape?"
"Three perps, wearing stocking masks. One definite leader. The vic knew the leader. They talked for a while."
Tripp sighed. "I'll see if we can get a warrant for the Alvarez kid's shoes, but it's shaky so far."
"Working on it," Horatio said. "One other thing."
"What's that, H?"
"I'd put out the word among patrol cars tonight to keep an extra eye on pharmacies."
Tripp sighed. "Right. All we need is another one. I'm working on the Alvarez's kid's associates. I took your suggestion and talked to his younger brother. He knows a lot more than his big brother does. He's given me names. I'll see if any of them have a history."
"Good idea. Let me know." They ended the call, and Horatio took one final sweep around the pharmacy. Then he headed for CSI, debating on the way there whether to drop off the evidence first or go check on Calleigh.
***
Calleigh was tired to the point that coffee wasn't that effective anymore. Horatio found her sitting staring blankly at her work. He had dropped the samples off first but had done it at full speed. "Hi, Beautiful."
She jumped, straightening up. "Hi, Handsome." He came across and kissed her.
"You look exhausted. It's 6:00 now. Go home, get supper, and go to bed, Calleigh."
He looked tired himself, she thought, but at least he looked alive. "Only if you come with me."
"I ought. . ." She reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth, stopping the words.
"You've been working since 3:30. I've only been awake since 3:30. If you want to be any use to anyone tomorrow, you need to go to bed yourself." Even with him, the idea of going to sleep still frightened her. "Or maybe we could watch a movie. Go home, eat, and watch a movie, like normal people. We could just have a quiet, relaxing night."
He had been studying her with his analytical expression, and he yielded abruptly, for her sake, not his. "Okay. Let's go."
***
They picked up a pizza on the way home, and Calleigh put it on the coffee table as Horatio went to the movie case. "You sure you don't want to just go straight to bed, Cal?"
"Positive. We'll still get to bed early." Too early, probably.
He eyed her again, then dropped the subject, deciding she was too tired to be probed. He made a vow to return to it tomorrow, though. "What do you want to watch?"
She considered. "Something totally ludicrous. Nothing like work."
He surveyed the selection. "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
"Perfect." They started the movie and curled up together on the couch, polishing off the pizza. At least her appetite wasn't affected, Horatio thought. He kept finding her looking at him, though, not the screen.
"What is it?" he asked finally.
"Nothing." She switched to staring at the TV so intently that Horatio expected Harrison Ford to notice. He pulled her closer to him and left the subject alone. Calleigh kept her eyes firmly on the screen then, but she leaned into him, trying to convince herself that he would always be there, trying to keep her increasingly heavy eyelids open. She failed on both counts.
Horatio stopped the movie as soon as he was sure she was asleep. Gently, soundlessly, he picked her up and carried her down the hall to the bedroom, putting her in bed and tucking her in. She never stirred until he broke contact with her to get undressed himself. Then, she shifted restlessly, and one probing hand went out, but she did not wake up. Horatio undressed as quickly as he could and slipped under the covers beside her, pulling her against him protectively. She settled down instantly, giving a soft purr, almost like a cat. He held his own eyes open as long as he could, watching her sleep. Calleigh, he thought, what's bothering you? The soft rhythm of her breathing didn't answer him, but it finally lulled him to sleep himself.
***
"To sleep; perchance to dream; ay, there's the rub."
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
***
Miami was never really dark at night, but the lights blazing inside the pharmacy and the red and blue lights swirling outside set Horatio's teeth on edge. The safety had been disrupted in his city. He took it as a personal offense. He entered the building to find Tripp standing at a careful distance, staring at the dead body slumped over the computer desk. Tripp turned to face him.
"No one's been past the counter except the first responding officer, to check for vital signs."
"Good. Alexx is coming." Horatio eyed the man. He had apparently been shot, although they would have to straighten him up to be sure. His head rested on his arms, and blood pooled on his computer keyboard. Horatio's eyes went past the body to scan the rest of the room and froze. "There's a security camera."
"Saw that," Tripp grunted. "Got that much, anyway."
"Why do you suppose the man didn't get up? He looks like he was still just sitting there. He should have reacted when they burst in and the alarm went off. Reached for the phone, stood up, something."
"Maybe it happened too fast," Tripp suggested.
"If they broke in and shot him that quickly, they already had the gun out and ready. And why break in on the night he was working late, anyway? Why not just wait for a better opportunity. The other pharmacy was so meticulous and thought out, but this one is much more reckless." He glanced from the man behind the counter to the door, gauging sight lines. He would have been clearly visible to the perps, who had entered through the main door, triggering the alarm. He might have been too preoccupied with his work to see them outside, but they would have known he was there. Horatio's lips compressed slightly. This whole scenario felt odd.
"You think it isn't connected with the other one?" Tripp asked.
"We don't know yet. I'm not assuming anything. If it was the same perps, they became a lot more careless since yesterday. We need to check victimology here, too. They saw him ahead of time. He might be the goal here, not the drugs."
Alexx and Speed arrived almost together. Horatio and Tripp both immediately inspected Speed's socks, which were a matching set of subdued brown. Alexx looked from one of them to the other. "Am I missing something?"
"You never do," Horatio said silkily. "Get some pictures first, Speed. Only the first responding officer has been past the counter since the perps. We've got an almost undisturbed crime scene."
"Wonders never cease." Speed pulled out his camera and started snapping shots. Alexx stood by patiently. She sometimes wished that her skills were used in healing life, like she had originally intended in medical school, not just in pursuing those who took it. She would swear that her victims talked to her in ways, but she didn't get to do the kind of healing she had once dreamed of. On the other hand, seeing criminals brought down, seeing families brought peace, seeing victims brought justice was rewarding. This wasn't what she had first planned, but given the opportunity, she wouldn't change it. The dead needed someone to speak for them.
Speed stepped back. "All yours," he said, and Alexx moved in. Horatio glided alongside her instantly, ready to help as well as observe. They straightened the victim in his chair. A single bullet hole was between the eyes.
"Almost execution style," said Alexx.
Horatio nodded. "I would give you good odds at this point that this man knew his killer."
"Or the killer knew him, at least," Speed put in.
"Right," Horatio conceded. "Probably the same thing, but not necessarily." He looked around again, absorbing the scene. "Speed, be sure you get the tape from that security camera. Tripp is already contacting the owner. This pharmacy will be closed all day, and we won't rush this scene as much. Look for any similarities, but don't overlook differences. At this point, we can't say they were done by the same perps."
"Right, H." Speed was still shooting pictures. He had moved into the rows of medicine, taking pictures of the open drawers. This crime had been committed much faster than the other, and the drawers were left hanging open. "Hydrocodone again," said Speed.
"Mmm," Horatio acknowledged. He headed back out to the front to look at the door. This door had had the glass panel broken in and then additional glass beaten out. If the man behind the counter hadn't had at least a few seconds warning, he must have been deaf. Horatio surveyed the broken glass edges carefully and soon found what he was looking for. "One of them cut himself breaking in." He surveyed the red-edged glass with triumph and pulled out a swab. "And where there's blood, there's DNA."
Alexx came back around the counter. "I'm ready to move him, Horatio." She glanced at her watch. "I'll just go on to CSI. I'll call you when the autopsy is done."
"Thank you, Alexx," he said. "Sorry to drag you out at this hour."
She smiled at him sadly. "It is our job."
"Yes," he said, with regretful determination. "It is."
***
Calleigh tried to make herself work on the ballistics from that shootout, but her ears were on edge, waiting for his call. He had said he would call. She put her cell phone on the table and stared at it. It didn't seem to notice her prompting. She sighed and resumed her efforts at work. She was already feeling tired, too, which was a bad sign this early in the work day. She could have used that extra three hours of sleep. On the other hand, her mind revolted at the thought of going to sleep. As long as she was awake, she wouldn't have the dream.
The phone rang, and she dove at it, nearly knocking it off the table, not even looking at the caller ID. "Horatio?" she asked frantically.
"No such luck." It was Adele. "Just me, I'm afraid. How's the ballistics work coming on our gang shoot out?"
"Slowly," Calleigh said. "I'm sorry, Adele, but this case is a nightmare. They kept changing guns and shooting from different spots."
"Not nice of them," Adele quipped. "Criminals are getting so inconsiderate these days."
Calleigh didn't laugh. What if he's trying to call right now, and we're tying up the phone, she thought. "Look, Adele, I'll get it as soon as I can, but this one is going to take a few days. I'm doing my best."
"I know. Doesn't really matter to holding them. The survivors are so busy fingering the other gang's survivors that we've got at least one witness to testify for everyone there. They all want to deal. The DA's going to love this case."
"I'm sure. Was there anything else, Adele?"
"Not really, just wanted a progress report." The detective paused for a second. "Are you okay, Calleigh? You sound a little edgy."
Her being okay wasn't the question here. "Fine. Just a little tired. Tripp woke us up at 3:30 wanting Horatio, and I couldn't get back to sleep." It suddenly occurred to her that if Horatio had been shot out on the case this morning, Adele would have heard it. "You haven't heard anything from Tripp on that one, have you?"
"He came through about 30 minutes ago, still grumbling about yesterday's pharmacy. Horatio won't say they're connected, but he won't say they aren't. Tripp wants an answer."
Calleigh grinned suddenly, picturing Horatio and Tripp having that exchange. Obviously, Horatio had been fine within the last hour. "He can't hurry the evidence. I can't either, Adele. I'll keep you posted."
"Fine. Talk to you later." Adele finally hung up, and Calleigh returned her cell phone to the table and waited for it to ring again. It apparently had joined a conspiracy with the evidence and wouldn't be hurried. She sighed and resumed her own work.
"Calleigh." The interruption came from Eric this time, and in person, not by phone. He stood in the doorway. "Finished yet?"
She whirled around with an expression that backed him off a half step. "No, I'm not finished yet. You try sorting this one out."
"No, thanks," he replied with his easy grin, defusing the situation by insisting that he saw nothing dangerous in it. Calleigh felt herself start to return his smile. It was hardly Eric's fault that he wasn't Horatio.
"What about you? Do you have everything processed and every report filed on your end?"
"Hardly." He extended both hands, and she suddenly realized that he had two coffee cups. "I just wanted some coffee, and I thought you could probably use some, too, given the ballistics in this case."
She really smiled at him that time. "Thanks, Eric. You're right, I do." She reached out to take her cup and nearly dropped it in the exchange as the phone rang. Eric hadn't quite released the cup yet, and he caught it just in time as Calleigh pounced on the phone like a cat on a mouse, giving it no opportunity to escape. "Hello?"
"Hi, Beautiful." His incomparable voice teased her ear, sounding reassuringly alive.
"Hi, Horatio. Just a sec." She turned back to Eric and took her cup from him. "Thank you, Eric. You're a lifesaver. Now scram." Eric gave her a mock salute and vanished, grinning like the Cheshire cat. Those two were so funny sometimes, almost like teenagers.
"Sorry, Horatio," Calleigh said.
"Are we alone now?"
"Can't speak for you, but the coast is clear on my end."
He chuckled. "Speed just left with the first bits of evidence to process from here, so I'm safe. I'll finish up here myself. I want Speed to work on the video tape."
Ridiculously, she felt a little better that Speed was no longer with him. "You've got a video tape?"
"Yes. Security camera. We've also got DNA."
"And a victim."
The lilt fell out of his voice. "That, too. Enough about my end. Which life did Eric save currently?"
"Mine. He brought me coffee."
"Did you get back to sleep after I left?"
Now why did he have to ask her that? "Um, well."
He interpreted that response correctly. "Are you okay, Calleigh?"
"I'm fine." She longed to ask him the same question, but he would really find that odd. "Just missed a few hours sleep. So did you, for that matter."
"Don't work late tonight. That's an order from your boss. You go home and go to bed early."
Again, the thought of sleep terrified her. Especially sleep without him. "You ought to do the same thing."
He hesitated. "I'll see. This case is getting more complicated all the time."
"Not a simple drug robbery to turn a quick profit?"
"Not a simple anything. This was almost an execution this morning. I'm interested in getting the report on that tape." He chuckled suddenly. "By the way, Speed was wearing matching socks today. Even with getting waked up at 3:30."
Calleigh tried to smile and match his light tone, but the socks reminded her of Speed falling over the stool, which reminded her of the dream. "I'll bet Breeze picked them out for him this morning," she said, but she sounded more tired than joking.
"Are you sure you're okay, Cal?"
"Fine," she said.
He hesitated for another second, then moved on, to her relief. "I'd better get back to work."
"So should I, before the boss catches me at it."
He laughed. "See you later. Take care of yourself, Calleigh. Let me talk to Rosalind for a second." She pushed the phone against the bulge in her abdomen, smiling at the thought of Horatio and his daughter. If Horatio lived to see her. The smile faded, and she pulled the phone back to her ear.
"You take care of yourself too, Horatio."
"I always do. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye."
Calleigh ended the call and put the phone back on the table, still within easy reach, in case another call came. Just as long as it was from him, and not from some official informing her of his death. She gave herself a mental shake and buried her thoughts in her work again. Or at least tried to.
***
Horatio worked in the pharmacy until late that afternoon, determined not to miss anything here. They had been gifted with an undisturbed crime scene. They had to take full advantage of it. He was having trouble concentrating himself, though, worrying about Calleigh. He'd been busy the last few days but not so busy that he failed to notice that something was bothering her. Something other than just being pregnant. She really seemed to be having few problems with pregnancy so far, and they were both glad of it. But if pregnancy wasn't the problem, what was? He was missing vital evidence here. He recognized the feeling instantly from his work.
His cell phone interrupted him three times during the afternoon. One call was from Alexx, reporting her autopsy findings. Nothing they hadn't already known. The man had been killed with a single shot, and he was looking straight at his killer. She had sent drug tests. Sometimes pharmacists can succumb to temptation and become addicts.
The second call was from Speed reporting on the video tape. "He definitely knew them, H. They were wearing stocking masks. Broke the door and bolted in, and he started to get up, then froze and dropped back down. Three perps, and the lead one already had the gun out. They talked for a second while the other two perps went around the counter and grabbed drugs. Then the lead perp shot the pharmacist after talking to him a bit, and they left. They also grabbed some Sudafed from the front part of the store on their way out." Sudafed contained ingredients which in large quantities could be useful in manufacturing meth.
"Does the angle show which one broke the glass on the door?"
"No."
"So we can't say if the DNA is from the murderer."
"Sorry, H."
"Well, keep going on the other samples. Especially that blood."
"Running it now. Anything new there?"
"I found some kind of residue in one of the aisles. I think it may have come from a perp's shoes. Looks like the same as yesterday's. I'll bring it back by CSI in a bit. On the tape before the break in, Speed, did the cleaning crew come by earlier in the evening?"
"Yeah. Floors had just been cleaned. They left right before the manager did. Then the one pharmacist came in two hours later and was doing computer work."
"We'll compare it to his shoes, but I think it goes with a perp. There was residue in that other pharmacy, too, but we don't have the tape there to prove the floors were just cleaned. We need to find out from Alvarez about the cleaning crew schedule on that pharmacy."
"The vic was only in the aisles once or twice. He mostly stayed at the computer. Has to be from a perp, I'd say."
"Good work, Speed. Keep me posted."
"Will do." Speed hung up, and the phone rang almost immediately. It was Tripp.
"Well, do you have my answer yet?"
"I don't know, Tripp. I just talked to Speed. We have a few leads, but we're still processing the evidence."
Tripp almost growled. "Come on, Horatio. I'm not Johnny Cochran, and you're not on the stand. Do you think they're connected?"
Horatio relented. "Yes. But don't hold me to it yet."
"I won't," Tripp agreed, but he would have placed a large bet that Horatio was right.
"What about Alvarez's son? Any more luck with him?"
"Nope. He knows nothing. Amazing the number of high school seniors we run across that know nothing. Makes you worry about the country sometimes."
"Maybe his education will improve as we go along. No fingerprints from that first pharmacy, but he could have worn gloves. Someone disabled that lock, so someone knew the code. If we could get his tennis shoes, we could try to match a residue sample. I found residue here that looks the same. Some kind of dirt, but mixed with something else."
"Has Speed identified it yet?"
"No, he hasn't had time. Too much else. He'll run it and compare both samples as soon as I get this one over there."
"What about the tape?"
"Three perps, wearing stocking masks. One definite leader. The vic knew the leader. They talked for a while."
Tripp sighed. "I'll see if we can get a warrant for the Alvarez kid's shoes, but it's shaky so far."
"Working on it," Horatio said. "One other thing."
"What's that, H?"
"I'd put out the word among patrol cars tonight to keep an extra eye on pharmacies."
Tripp sighed. "Right. All we need is another one. I'm working on the Alvarez's kid's associates. I took your suggestion and talked to his younger brother. He knows a lot more than his big brother does. He's given me names. I'll see if any of them have a history."
"Good idea. Let me know." They ended the call, and Horatio took one final sweep around the pharmacy. Then he headed for CSI, debating on the way there whether to drop off the evidence first or go check on Calleigh.
***
Calleigh was tired to the point that coffee wasn't that effective anymore. Horatio found her sitting staring blankly at her work. He had dropped the samples off first but had done it at full speed. "Hi, Beautiful."
She jumped, straightening up. "Hi, Handsome." He came across and kissed her.
"You look exhausted. It's 6:00 now. Go home, get supper, and go to bed, Calleigh."
He looked tired himself, she thought, but at least he looked alive. "Only if you come with me."
"I ought. . ." She reached up and clamped a hand over his mouth, stopping the words.
"You've been working since 3:30. I've only been awake since 3:30. If you want to be any use to anyone tomorrow, you need to go to bed yourself." Even with him, the idea of going to sleep still frightened her. "Or maybe we could watch a movie. Go home, eat, and watch a movie, like normal people. We could just have a quiet, relaxing night."
He had been studying her with his analytical expression, and he yielded abruptly, for her sake, not his. "Okay. Let's go."
***
They picked up a pizza on the way home, and Calleigh put it on the coffee table as Horatio went to the movie case. "You sure you don't want to just go straight to bed, Cal?"
"Positive. We'll still get to bed early." Too early, probably.
He eyed her again, then dropped the subject, deciding she was too tired to be probed. He made a vow to return to it tomorrow, though. "What do you want to watch?"
She considered. "Something totally ludicrous. Nothing like work."
He surveyed the selection. "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."
"Perfect." They started the movie and curled up together on the couch, polishing off the pizza. At least her appetite wasn't affected, Horatio thought. He kept finding her looking at him, though, not the screen.
"What is it?" he asked finally.
"Nothing." She switched to staring at the TV so intently that Horatio expected Harrison Ford to notice. He pulled her closer to him and left the subject alone. Calleigh kept her eyes firmly on the screen then, but she leaned into him, trying to convince herself that he would always be there, trying to keep her increasingly heavy eyelids open. She failed on both counts.
Horatio stopped the movie as soon as he was sure she was asleep. Gently, soundlessly, he picked her up and carried her down the hall to the bedroom, putting her in bed and tucking her in. She never stirred until he broke contact with her to get undressed himself. Then, she shifted restlessly, and one probing hand went out, but she did not wake up. Horatio undressed as quickly as he could and slipped under the covers beside her, pulling her against him protectively. She settled down instantly, giving a soft purr, almost like a cat. He held his own eyes open as long as he could, watching her sleep. Calleigh, he thought, what's bothering you? The soft rhythm of her breathing didn't answer him, but it finally lulled him to sleep himself.