Chapter 6

"We have the blood tests done on the torso we brought in this morning. It comes back to Frank Donovan the same as the blood on the sheets. Greg said the DNA tests aren't ready yet," Warrick said to Grissom as they stood with Greg in the lab.

"I'll wait on them, before I get this to Brass, I want to be 100% sure about everything on this case. Something just doesn't seem right," Grissom said.

"Can I go to dinner now? I'm starving," Greg asked.

"Sure," Grissom answered. "You do know you only get an hour for dinner?" he asked, seeing Greg change shirts before leaving.

"I know but I like to look my best. You never know when you might meet someone." Greg smiled and left them in the lab alone.

"I still don't get it. She doesn't seem the least bit phased that all the evidence points to her," Nick said to Catherine, as they walked by the lab as Warrick and Grissom walked out.

"Talking about Mrs. Donovan?" Grissom asked.

"Yeah. She is so cool about this. If she didn't do it, don't you think she'd have her team looking into it to make sure we didn't railroad her for it?" Nick asked.

"Maybe she wants us to speculate so we'll look at the evidence over and over until she figures out a way to leave the country," Warrick suggested as they all walked to the lounge area.

"She does own her own plane. She can leave anytime she wants," Catherine mentioned.

"We don't have a motive for the killing. She's rich in her own right, so it wasn't for the money. Their coworkers say they fight and she even admitted it, but they've never tried to kill each other before. She doesn't have a boyfriend on the side. From all indications she and Frank loved each other more than anything, other than their kids," Nick said.

"Why hasn't her son showed up, or her brother? Why aren't they in the middle of this?" Warrick asked.

"I have some answers for you," Sara said, walking in. "I finally reached her brother. He said he just heard about it but he was told by Elaina not to interfere in the case. Also Brass found out that her private plane is in Chicago. Frank's parents and his daughter are there with Derek, since they found out about the murder. Derek hung up on Brass, saying he didn't want to discuss it."

"This woman is good." Grissom said. "She's leading us through this whole case and I just realized it."

"What so you mean?" Catherine asked.

"We need to see if we can find other medical records for Mr. Donovan. I don't believe we have them all." Grissom stated. "Sara, they moved here from Chicago. I want you get a warrant for Donovan's medical records there. Don't give them any notice, just go there with the warrant and get them."

"Cool! I get a free trip to Chicago," Sara said, getting up to leave.

"Can I go too?" Nick asked.

"It isn't for pleasure; get the records and get back here," Grissom told Sara.

"What do you want us to do?" Warrick asked.

"Go back over the pictures of the scene. See if we missed anything. If you have to, go back to the house and look around. I doubt she's changed anything," Grissom said.

"Catherine, I want you to call the son and talk to him. Be sympathetic to him like you don't believe his Mom's guilty. Hopefully he'll open up then."

"I could go to Chicago with Sara and talk in person," Catherine suggested.

"No, I want you to talk to Elaina after you talk to him. She's good but everyone makes mistakes at some point. We need to get her to let her guard down somehow. If you mention having talked to her son, I'm sure she'll get angry enough to say something by mistake."

*****

"Oh boy!" Elaina said as she stood up. She was a bit dizzy from the wine and swayed as she tried to get her balance. "Umm. Could you help me to the restroom I have to go," she asked Sabrina.

"I should say no. After all, that was the first thing you've said to me in the past two hours."

"Fine. I'll get there on my own," Elaina went to take a step and almost fell.

"Sure you will. Hold on to me," Sab instructed as she started to the restroom.

"Thanks Babe," Elaina said as they reached the door. "I think I can handle it from here."

"I'll wait out here," Sab told her. She leaned against the other wall as a cute looking guy walked by her to the men's room. He smiled at her and she smiled back, she was still waiting when he came back out moments later.

"Are you holding the wall up?" he joked.

"No, my friend has had too much to drink and she needed help to the restroom. She seems to be taking her sweet time, too." Sab stuck her head in the door. "You ok?"

"Yeah. Be out in a minute!" Elaina yelled back.

"I saw you walk her this way, she did seem a bit tipsy," he said, trying to hold the conversation.

"Tipsy hell, she's flat out drunk," Sab said with a giggle.  "She usually doesn't drink, unless she's bothered by something. I'm going to drive her home when she gets out."

"Too bad, I was going to ask you to dance," he said, flirting with Sab.

"Maybe some other time…I'm sorry, we never introduced ourselves. I'm Sabrina."

"I'm Greg."

"Hi Greg, nice to meet you. Do you come here a lot?"

"Once in a while when I don't work," Greg said.

"This is my first time here. What kind of work do you do?" Sab asked, curiously.

"I work in a crime lab," he answered.

"Fascinating! I'm a computer tech. Your job sounds a lot more interesting than mine. Do you have to look at dead bodies?"

"Not too often but I have seen a few. I mostly do evidence analysis like DNA, blood tests, chemical residue that sort of thing," he boasted.

"Cool. Do you think I could visit you sometime?"

"You'd want to visit a lab?" Greg asked.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry but I can't take visitors in there. You have to get special clearance for it," Greg said as Elaina stepped out and stared at him.

"What's going on here?" Elaina asked.

"This is…"

"I know who Mr. Sanders is. What are you doing talking to him?"

"Have we met?" Greg asked.

"I'm Elaina Donovan. Do you need to know more?"

"No ma'am. It was nice to meet you Sabrina," Greg said as he started to walk away.

"She's married stay away from her," Elaina yelled after him.

"Why the hell did you do that? I was trying to find a way to help you," Sab wondered.

"I don't need that kind of help. Take me home. Now!" Elaina ordered.

"How did you know who he was?" Sab wondered.

"I know everyone associate with my case. Did you think I wouldn't check out everyone I have to deal with?"

"No, but you better get used to dealing with me. I want to know what's going on and I'm not leaving you until I do," Sab insisted.

******

"I hate to bother you but I need to tell you something that happened earlier," Greg said, walking in Grissom's office.

"I'm really busy here, can't it wait?"

"It sort of has to do with the case. I met Mrs. Donovan."

"Where?" he asked, giving Greg his full attention.

"She and a very beautiful friend of hers was at the nightclub I went to at dinner," Greg explained.

"I take it you met the friend first?"

"Yeah. I had to go to the restroom and I had seen her help Mrs. Donovan to the ladies room and she stood outside waiting so we struck up a conversation."

"Please tell me you didn't mention the case to her."

"No I didn't. I didn't know who they were until Mrs. Donovan came out and told me her name. Sabrina went to introduce us and she said she already knew who I was. In so many words she told me to get lost so I did."

"You said she needed help to the ladies room. Why?" Grissom wondered.

"She was drunk. At least I thought she was. She didn't seem that way when she came out," Greg replied.

"You think she was faking being drunk?"

"I saw her down a lot of drinks no longer than I was there. She had to be drunk," Greg reasoned.

"Do you know the bartender at this place?"

"Enough why?"

"I want you to take Nick with you and find out if he was watering down her drinks."

"Ok."

******

Elaina awakened the next morning with a hang over. She was still staying in the guest room not going near her bedroom. She got up and went to the living room; she saw Sab asleep on the couch. She didn't want to wake her, so she went to the kitchen to get some aspirin for her headache. She dropped a glass and within a couple of minutes Sabrina was in the kitchen.

"Sorry, if I woke you," Elaina said getting a broom and dustpan.

"I was awake when you came in the room. I've already talked to Cody and Maria. Told them not to expect me at work," Sab explained.

"Then why didn't you say good morning, if you were awake?" she asked sweeping up the glass.

"You didn't look like it was a good morning. Besides I was thinking about something."

"Hope you didn't strain your brain too much." Elaina put the glass in the trash can then places the broom and dustpan back.

"Very funny. I think we were right about Frank being alive. So why don't you tell be what's going on?"

"I told you there is nothing you can do to help me, so lay off of me," Elaina said, getting a beer out of the fridge.

"Put that back in there! You're not going to start drinking this early in the morning." Sab tried to take it from her but Elaina pushed her away.

"Try that again and you'll be sorry."

"Damn it! Why are you doing this?"

"If you don't like it leave!" Elaina downed half of the bottle before Sabrina took it out of her hand. "You little bitch!"

"I learned from you. Tell me what's going on and you can have as many beers as you want," Sab said, pouring out the rest of the bottle. Elaina went back over to the fridge but Sabrina slammed the door shut before she could reach for another bottle. Elaina was reaching for Sabrina's neck when the doorbell rang.

"You were definitely saved by the bell," Elaina said, leaving the room.

Sab shivered as she thought of the look in Elaina's eyes, she was suddenly afraid of her friend. She followed her to the foyer, when Elaina opened the door they were both surprised to see Derek standing there. Elaina grabbed him and hugged him. Sab was equally surprised when he pushed her away.

"I only came here to tell you something face to face," Derek said with anger in his voice.

"Which is?" Elaina asked.

"Until this is all straightened out, Becky and I are keeping Sarah," he announced.

"You can't keep Sarah from me, I'm her mother! She needs me now more than ever," Elaina argued.

"You killed our father. The evidence tells the truth, Mother. Which is more than you can do. I'm not going to let you near Sarah!"

"What do you know about the evidence?" Elaina demanded.

"I had a long talk with Ms. Willows. She shared some of what they think happened the other night. I have to admit it sounds just like you to get drunk and then kill Dad. Tell me who or what are you going to blame this on?" Derek asked in an angry tone.

"How dare you, talk to me this way."

"You deserve it and more after what you did," Derek said, going to the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?" Elaina asked.

"I'm going to get some of Sarah's things. I also want to see where it happened," Derek said as he went up the steps.

"Aren't you going to stop him?" Sabrina wondered.

"I haven't been able to go up there again since that morning."

"I'll go try to talk some sense into him," Sabrina said, going up to find Derek. "Derek!"

"What?" he yelled from Sarah's room.

"I don't think it's fair the way you're treating her," Sab said as she leaned against the doorway.

"It wasn't fair of her to kill Dad either," Derek snapped.

"I don't think she did it and I don't think Frank is dead either."

"If Dad was alive I would know it. He wouldn't put us through this. He would tell us even if he was hiding it from the team," Derek said as he put some clothes in a backpack.

"What if he was protecting you by not telling you the truth?"

"It would never happen that way, Sabrina. I know my Mom and Dad very well. They wouldn't torture us like this."

"Even so, why are you torturing your Mom by taking Sarah from her. She is innocent until proven guilty."

"Mom, innocent? Are you forgetting how she can snow people? She's good at acting like a victim. She has in the past and she will continue to do so until she is caught. And now it looks like her luck has run out," Derek said, closing the backpack. "I have to go. I told Sarah and Becky I wouldn't be gone long."

Derek and Sab walked together to his parent's bedroom. He looked inside and turned to go downstairs. "How are your Grandparents and your uncle Trevor?" Sab asked as they descended the stairs.

"They're trying to cope with the news," Derek said. Elaina met them at the bottom of the stairs; she had tears running down her face. "You can stop with the tears. I'm not bringing Sarah back here."

"Don't do this Derek. I need her with me. I need you both. Please bring her home."

"NO! You should have thought of us before you killed Dad." Derek pushed past her to the front door.

"Derek! I didn't kill him. I didn't, I swear to God, I didn't kill him!" Elaina exclaimed as Derek slammed the front door.

"Come on, Lainie. Let me take you in to lie down." Sab guided her to the guest room as she started to shake. She sat her on the bed and Elaina curled up as she cried. "That's it, now lay there and try to calm down. Do you want me to call Allison for you?"

"Yes. I would like to talk to her," Elaina said, sobbing.

"Ok, I'll call her, you just try to rest." Sab left the room and shut the door. She went into the living room and got the cordless phone to make her call. She wanted to make sure Elaina didn't come out of the room while she was talking to Allison. The phone at HQ was answered by Karissa; after explaining to her Mom what happened she asked to speak with Allison.

"Hello, Sabrina," Allison said.

"I need your help, so does Elaina," Sab told her.

"Why do you need my help?"

"I'm not sure I can keep an eye on her by myself. She's drinking and she's depressed even though she won't admit it. Derek just told her he was keeping Sarah from her, so I'm really worried what she might do," Sab explained.

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Just keep her away from the alcohol," Allison ordered.

"I will. I'm standing outside her door, so she won't be getting near it."

*****

Allison arrived at the Donovan house with Sonny tagging along. Sab was surprised to see him. "Uncle Sonny, what are you doing here?"

"I want to be here in case Elaina got out of hand," he said.

"I think we can handle her. She's been really quiet, she won't say anything to me. She's just been crying a lot," Sab reported.

"See if she has any antidepressants around here. If not I'll have to go get some for her," Allison said.

"She's in the guest room lying down. Uncle Sonny, could you look in the bathroom of their room? I don't want to go in there," Sab asked.

"Sure, kid. I'll go." Sonny went up the steps while Allison went in to see Elaina.

"Elaina, are you asleep?" she said quietly as she entered. Elaina had her back turned from the door.

"No," she said, sniffling. 

"Did Sabrina tell you what happened?"

"Yes she said Derek paid you a visit. You want to talk about it?"

"I want to see my daughter but he won't bring her here. Can you talk him into it for me?"

"I'll try. I can always send Sonny and Jake to get her," Allison said half joking.

"No, I don't want to force him to hand her over, they're going through a lot. I don't want them to resent any of you for helping me. Maybe Derek's right in keeping her," Elaina said as tears started rolling down her face again. "I don't think I can take much more."

"I want you to start your medication again. Do you have any here?"

"Maybe. I don't remember. I really don't want to take it. I hate the feeling I get when I'm on it. I feel dopey all day when I first start taking it."

"It will pass. I insist you start taking it again," Allison said.

"Excuse me, but we didn't find any pills," Sab said, sticking her head in the door.

"Thanks, hon. I'm going to go get you the medication. I'll be back soon." Allison left her alone, while she went in the living room with Sonny and Sabrina.

"Do you want me to drive you to the pharmacy?" Sonny asked.

"No, I want you to stay here with Sabrina. Elaina is unstable right now and I want her watched closely," Allison answered.

"You're scaring me. Is she suicidal again?" Sab asked.

"I don't think she's that bad but she's starting to withdraw from us. I could tell that right away."

"I think I'll go see if I can get her to talk," Sonny said.

"Good. I'll be back as soon as I can." Allison left then Sab decided she would make sure Elaina couldn't find anything to hurt herself with. She found Elaina's gun in her bag and hid it in a potted plant in the dining room. She then went to the kitchen and took all the knives and put them in the top cabinets over the sink. She then decided to fix something for Elaina to eat, realizing they both had not eaten anything yet.

*****

Sonny went into the guest room finding Elaina sitting on the window seat looking out to the horses. "Do you feel like talking?" he asked.

"Only if you don't mention my husband or children. I can't handle those topics right now."

"You don't leave me with much to talk about."

"Sorry. How do you like working for the federal government?" she asked, picking the subject.

"I look at it as helping you and Frank, not the Feds."

"I don't know who'll you'll be helping if I get arrested."

"Frank will be back before you get arrested."

"That's twice you mentioned him after I told you not too. If you want to be next keep talking," Elaina snapped at him.

"Next what? I don't believe for a minute you killed Frank. I think you're doing this, as Sabrina said, to protect him in some way," Sonny said as she walked over to the door.

She pushed the door shut and locked him in. "That better be the last time you say his name, if you value your life. You keep your opinions to yourself, and I'll let you live."

*****

When Allison arrived back at the house, Sonny was just coming out of Elaina's room. Allison noticed he was bothered by something.  "Are you ok, Sonny?" she asked.

"I'm starting to think she did kill Frank. She threatened me."

"What did she say?" Sabrina asked.

"She told me not to mention Frank or the kids. She asked me a question and I mentioned Frank's name I had to, to answer the question. Then I made the mistake of bringing up Sabrina's theory that she was protecting Frank. That was a big mistake."

"What did she do?"

"She shut the door and locked it and said if I valued my life, I'd keep my opinions to myself and never mention Frank to her again. I didn't I have been in there talking about me past career. The only subject I knew that I wouldn't mention him in."

"I better see if I can get her to take these pills," Allison told them.

"I don't think either of you should be alone with her," Sonny said.

"Sonny, she's a bit upset. I'll be fine with her, so will Sabrina. She'd never hurt one of us," Allison assured him.

"I guess now wouldn't be a good time to tell you she went for my throat earlier?" Sab wondered.