Chapter 44
Catherine held the door shut as Grissom tried to get out. "I'm am not going to argue Gil, you're staying put whether you like it or not."
He grumbled an obscenity and would have launched himself back in his sit with anger if he didn't hurt so much. "It's my house, Catherine."
She nodded and stepped back to test that he wouldn't try to get out again. "It's also a crime scene. I'm going to get some clothes for you and then we are going to the lab. We still have evidence that needs processing."
Grissom pushed his head back into the headrest and bit his bottom lip from cursing out loud.
~*^*^*~
Sara woke up on the floor of the motel room. She could hear Jake's voice and then Kate's. They were talking but she could tell by Jake's tone that he was holding in his temper. Kate was talking about school and the things she did at home. Although she could hear Kate trying to restrain from mentioning Grissom, she knew that her daughter didn't have a day of her life when Grissom wasn't in it.
"How about your mother?" Jake inquired; glancing to see Sara was waking up.
Kate reached out to touch her mother's hand. "Mum's the best."
"That she is." Jake grinned as Sara opened her eyes.
Gavin walked in and placed a grocery bag on the table and closed the door. "I got some food and the car."
"Good, we'll leave and eat on the way. It's a long road trip." Jake informed his little brother as he walked over to the table.
~*^*^*~
"Has anyone, got any, idea, where my family is?" Grissom asked the crowded room.
Catherine placed a hand on his good shoulder. "Calm down Gil. You know what the doctor said."
He sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry, but please, just give me something."
Nick stepped up with the first of the evidence. "The Californian plates on the van were registered in Gavin's name. He owns a garage near the coast. He's the only family that visited Jake in Prison and was there to pick him up when he was released."
"So far, no one has seen him since Jake got out, but he has been spotted in his van outside Kate's school." Sam Grant informed them. "With any luck, the authorities in California will have an APB out on Jake and Gavin. They'll be picked up and held until we can get them transferred back here."
"Good, what else?" Grissom asked as he looked around the table.
Tom and Robin stepped forward. "The gas station held a car for a while, I'd say a few days by the dust disturbance. It's a low axle and wide-bodied car. It's all I've got so far, but the tire treads I collected are still going through the computer." Robin sat down and reached for her coffee as Tom flipped through a file.
"I did some digging into Jake's record for the time he was imprisoned. Apparently he went to anger management and alcoholic anonymous meetings. He was rarely in the hospital due to him being his good self to get a shorter sentence. He was also visited by the prison's shrink numerous times and all with the same thing." Tom paused as looked across at Grissom. "He wanted to be a better person so he could look after his wife and kid."
Catherine squeezed Grissom's shoulder lightly, feeling it tense under her hand. "We need some more answers people, have we got any idea where they are going, where they are now, anything?" She asked.
Garrett stepped through the crowd to place a photo on the table in front of Grissom. "I found a roll of film in the van. It was pretty beaten up, but I managed to clean it up a bit." He pulled out a few more as he explained his theory. "I'm guessing these are some kind of buildings. Sale houses because each photo has a 'for sale' board in it."
"Jake's buying a place somewhere to start up his new life, maybe?" Robin asked.
"It's possible. He's always wanted to move away from Vegas even though he was born here." Grissom supplied, looking over the photos. "He knows moving Sara and Kate will get my attention because it did last time. That's how he conned me into walking into his trap. Sara was forced to ring me and he ambushed me."
"At least you weren't stupid enough to go alone Gil, remember that." Catherine told him consolingly.
He nodded and rubbed his tired eyes. "I guess, but I should have done something sooner."
"It's in the past. Let's focus on the now and find them." Nick told his friend as he nodded to the photos. "Recognise any of those places, where they are, maybe?"
Grissom pulled on his glasses and looked over each photo again. "I'm not sure. It's not got everything and it's damaged."
"Film was water logged." Garrett grinned. "With salt water and sand."
"The beach?" Grissom said quietly, looking over them again, stopping on one near the back. "I've seen this one, well, pictured it, sort of." He looked up at the questioning eyes and shrugged. "Sara had a beach house dream and it looked a lot like this. It's big but not too big. Large garden, garage, trees and it's close to her parent's place, give or take a couple hundred miles up the coast." He added as an afterthought.
~*^*^*~
Jake turned his head to check on the passengers in the back. Sara was holding Kate close as she stared out the window. He'd have her by herself soon enough and then he could tell her his intentions for them. His plan was well on the way to completion and knew his advisory would have bleed out by now. No one would think to look in the derelict gas station. His quick thinking when he discovered the few squatters was genius. All he had to do was wave some dollars in the air and they were gone and none the wiser.
Looking at Kate with soft eyes, he could see Sara in her eyes. She had his hair and hopefully he would find more he had given her. His thoughts would go back to when they were all together and happy. Kate was just a baby, but he still remembered that she wouldn't sleep without her teddy. She cried a lot, but babies always do. He had thought about how she was conceived, but it would quickly turn into something his imagination would play out for him.
Although he saw the past as the happy times, his delusions weren't going to stay on the past for long. His life was on the up and now Grissom was out of the way, he could get his family back to the way it was. Gavin was helping them relocate and even put in for a new house. It was going to be perfect.
~*^*^*~
Grissom's arm throbbed as he walked down the corridor of the CSI lab. His mind was elsewhere, but his body needed to move. Sitting for hours was not doing him any good. He needed to do something other than waiting for updates. The idea of homing in on Jake was the only reason he wasn't out looking himself. He promised Catherine and Nick that he'd wait until they had something concrete and that the evidence was properly followed. He couldn't argue with his own words thrown back at him.
The beach was the only lead they had, but the PD in San Francisco was not allowing them to go trampling what could be a major media coverage. This angered more that just Grissom in respects that the Californian Police were going to attempt to milk Sara and Kate's kidnapping for all it's worth. Telling them it was suicide for the two in Jake's hands, Grissom was literally held back from beating the sheriff's head in.
He had to wait, but if there wasn't anything soon, he was going to go himself and bring his family home. Catherine and Nick were about to jump on the bandwagon when Garrett got a positive lead on the beach house.
"It's in Gavin's name and Jake is given ownership once the payments are finalised." Garrett grinned. "We have a where, but not the when. Jake could be there now or still here in Vegas." His grin faltered with that thought.
Grissom nodded and rolled his shoulders carefully. "I'm going to say he laid low for a new vehicle, seeing as we have the van and we're onto the car."
Catherine agreed and pulled out Robin's tread prints. "I got these from Robin. She's following up on the make and colour, but we've already got a sighting on a black Ford."
"Where?" Grissom asked, looking at the treads.
"A small town outside the city. Apparently the car was impounded an hour ago."
"Anyone with it?" Nick asked as he looked at the blonde.
Catherine shook her head. "No, but we do have a description on who was driving."
"Gavin?" Grissom guessed.
"Yes. He's being awfully sloppy Griss, you thinking he's helping in someway?"
Grissom thought about this for a few quiet moments while staring off at nothing. Gavin did stop Jake from lashing out at the house. He made sure his body was found before he bleed out and he left the van and track marks, including paper trails. Looking up, he nodded.
"I'm willing to beat that Gavin is only doing this for Jake's sake. He's being forced into this. Gavin's not violent. He went to meetings and a shrink just for hitting his girlfriend. He's against it and is in the perfect position for Jake's manipulation." Grissom sighed and rubbed his eyes. "He's leaving us evidence to follow Jake. It's a definite now, I think, that Gavin is trying to get me to face Jake and finish this. He's been victim to Jake's beatings long enough, but he's still family."
"Ok, so Gavin is helping us, Jake's not in on it, yet." Nick spoke out his theory slowly as he pieced together some of the evidence that Gavin had left. "He didn't let you die, he made sure you were found, but not seen himself."
Catherine sighed. "He doesn't want Jake to know he's helping Grissom, because he'll end up on David's slab. Jake's capable of killing. He might not have killed you Gil, but he tried."
Grissom nodded. "I suppose Gavin is making sure Sara and Kate is safe, but what if Jake figures it out?"
"Let's hope he doesn't." Nick added with a hint of firmness before leaving the room to follow up on the impounded car.
"Let's try and talk to the sheriff and get some officers to check out the beach house. If they're not there, then they will be soon." Catherine suggested.
Catherine held the door shut as Grissom tried to get out. "I'm am not going to argue Gil, you're staying put whether you like it or not."
He grumbled an obscenity and would have launched himself back in his sit with anger if he didn't hurt so much. "It's my house, Catherine."
She nodded and stepped back to test that he wouldn't try to get out again. "It's also a crime scene. I'm going to get some clothes for you and then we are going to the lab. We still have evidence that needs processing."
Grissom pushed his head back into the headrest and bit his bottom lip from cursing out loud.
~*^*^*~
Sara woke up on the floor of the motel room. She could hear Jake's voice and then Kate's. They were talking but she could tell by Jake's tone that he was holding in his temper. Kate was talking about school and the things she did at home. Although she could hear Kate trying to restrain from mentioning Grissom, she knew that her daughter didn't have a day of her life when Grissom wasn't in it.
"How about your mother?" Jake inquired; glancing to see Sara was waking up.
Kate reached out to touch her mother's hand. "Mum's the best."
"That she is." Jake grinned as Sara opened her eyes.
Gavin walked in and placed a grocery bag on the table and closed the door. "I got some food and the car."
"Good, we'll leave and eat on the way. It's a long road trip." Jake informed his little brother as he walked over to the table.
~*^*^*~
"Has anyone, got any, idea, where my family is?" Grissom asked the crowded room.
Catherine placed a hand on his good shoulder. "Calm down Gil. You know what the doctor said."
He sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry, but please, just give me something."
Nick stepped up with the first of the evidence. "The Californian plates on the van were registered in Gavin's name. He owns a garage near the coast. He's the only family that visited Jake in Prison and was there to pick him up when he was released."
"So far, no one has seen him since Jake got out, but he has been spotted in his van outside Kate's school." Sam Grant informed them. "With any luck, the authorities in California will have an APB out on Jake and Gavin. They'll be picked up and held until we can get them transferred back here."
"Good, what else?" Grissom asked as he looked around the table.
Tom and Robin stepped forward. "The gas station held a car for a while, I'd say a few days by the dust disturbance. It's a low axle and wide-bodied car. It's all I've got so far, but the tire treads I collected are still going through the computer." Robin sat down and reached for her coffee as Tom flipped through a file.
"I did some digging into Jake's record for the time he was imprisoned. Apparently he went to anger management and alcoholic anonymous meetings. He was rarely in the hospital due to him being his good self to get a shorter sentence. He was also visited by the prison's shrink numerous times and all with the same thing." Tom paused as looked across at Grissom. "He wanted to be a better person so he could look after his wife and kid."
Catherine squeezed Grissom's shoulder lightly, feeling it tense under her hand. "We need some more answers people, have we got any idea where they are going, where they are now, anything?" She asked.
Garrett stepped through the crowd to place a photo on the table in front of Grissom. "I found a roll of film in the van. It was pretty beaten up, but I managed to clean it up a bit." He pulled out a few more as he explained his theory. "I'm guessing these are some kind of buildings. Sale houses because each photo has a 'for sale' board in it."
"Jake's buying a place somewhere to start up his new life, maybe?" Robin asked.
"It's possible. He's always wanted to move away from Vegas even though he was born here." Grissom supplied, looking over the photos. "He knows moving Sara and Kate will get my attention because it did last time. That's how he conned me into walking into his trap. Sara was forced to ring me and he ambushed me."
"At least you weren't stupid enough to go alone Gil, remember that." Catherine told him consolingly.
He nodded and rubbed his tired eyes. "I guess, but I should have done something sooner."
"It's in the past. Let's focus on the now and find them." Nick told his friend as he nodded to the photos. "Recognise any of those places, where they are, maybe?"
Grissom pulled on his glasses and looked over each photo again. "I'm not sure. It's not got everything and it's damaged."
"Film was water logged." Garrett grinned. "With salt water and sand."
"The beach?" Grissom said quietly, looking over them again, stopping on one near the back. "I've seen this one, well, pictured it, sort of." He looked up at the questioning eyes and shrugged. "Sara had a beach house dream and it looked a lot like this. It's big but not too big. Large garden, garage, trees and it's close to her parent's place, give or take a couple hundred miles up the coast." He added as an afterthought.
~*^*^*~
Jake turned his head to check on the passengers in the back. Sara was holding Kate close as she stared out the window. He'd have her by herself soon enough and then he could tell her his intentions for them. His plan was well on the way to completion and knew his advisory would have bleed out by now. No one would think to look in the derelict gas station. His quick thinking when he discovered the few squatters was genius. All he had to do was wave some dollars in the air and they were gone and none the wiser.
Looking at Kate with soft eyes, he could see Sara in her eyes. She had his hair and hopefully he would find more he had given her. His thoughts would go back to when they were all together and happy. Kate was just a baby, but he still remembered that she wouldn't sleep without her teddy. She cried a lot, but babies always do. He had thought about how she was conceived, but it would quickly turn into something his imagination would play out for him.
Although he saw the past as the happy times, his delusions weren't going to stay on the past for long. His life was on the up and now Grissom was out of the way, he could get his family back to the way it was. Gavin was helping them relocate and even put in for a new house. It was going to be perfect.
~*^*^*~
Grissom's arm throbbed as he walked down the corridor of the CSI lab. His mind was elsewhere, but his body needed to move. Sitting for hours was not doing him any good. He needed to do something other than waiting for updates. The idea of homing in on Jake was the only reason he wasn't out looking himself. He promised Catherine and Nick that he'd wait until they had something concrete and that the evidence was properly followed. He couldn't argue with his own words thrown back at him.
The beach was the only lead they had, but the PD in San Francisco was not allowing them to go trampling what could be a major media coverage. This angered more that just Grissom in respects that the Californian Police were going to attempt to milk Sara and Kate's kidnapping for all it's worth. Telling them it was suicide for the two in Jake's hands, Grissom was literally held back from beating the sheriff's head in.
He had to wait, but if there wasn't anything soon, he was going to go himself and bring his family home. Catherine and Nick were about to jump on the bandwagon when Garrett got a positive lead on the beach house.
"It's in Gavin's name and Jake is given ownership once the payments are finalised." Garrett grinned. "We have a where, but not the when. Jake could be there now or still here in Vegas." His grin faltered with that thought.
Grissom nodded and rolled his shoulders carefully. "I'm going to say he laid low for a new vehicle, seeing as we have the van and we're onto the car."
Catherine agreed and pulled out Robin's tread prints. "I got these from Robin. She's following up on the make and colour, but we've already got a sighting on a black Ford."
"Where?" Grissom asked, looking at the treads.
"A small town outside the city. Apparently the car was impounded an hour ago."
"Anyone with it?" Nick asked as he looked at the blonde.
Catherine shook her head. "No, but we do have a description on who was driving."
"Gavin?" Grissom guessed.
"Yes. He's being awfully sloppy Griss, you thinking he's helping in someway?"
Grissom thought about this for a few quiet moments while staring off at nothing. Gavin did stop Jake from lashing out at the house. He made sure his body was found before he bleed out and he left the van and track marks, including paper trails. Looking up, he nodded.
"I'm willing to beat that Gavin is only doing this for Jake's sake. He's being forced into this. Gavin's not violent. He went to meetings and a shrink just for hitting his girlfriend. He's against it and is in the perfect position for Jake's manipulation." Grissom sighed and rubbed his eyes. "He's leaving us evidence to follow Jake. It's a definite now, I think, that Gavin is trying to get me to face Jake and finish this. He's been victim to Jake's beatings long enough, but he's still family."
"Ok, so Gavin is helping us, Jake's not in on it, yet." Nick spoke out his theory slowly as he pieced together some of the evidence that Gavin had left. "He didn't let you die, he made sure you were found, but not seen himself."
Catherine sighed. "He doesn't want Jake to know he's helping Grissom, because he'll end up on David's slab. Jake's capable of killing. He might not have killed you Gil, but he tried."
Grissom nodded. "I suppose Gavin is making sure Sara and Kate is safe, but what if Jake figures it out?"
"Let's hope he doesn't." Nick added with a hint of firmness before leaving the room to follow up on the impounded car.
"Let's try and talk to the sheriff and get some officers to check out the beach house. If they're not there, then they will be soon." Catherine suggested.