Disclaimers in Chapter 1.
~~~~~ Chapter Three: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden ~~~~~
The investigation was well into its fourth week, and although Clyde Huffman was still on the loose, there had been no more murders. The team felt they were closing in, that is, until the weekly staff meeting.
The group sat around the conference table updating each other on current case statuses.
"...and Hallelujah, the ATM case is *finally* closed! MDPD caught the guy red-handed at a bank machine in Coconut Grove last night." Calleigh was exuberant.
Speed's cell phone chirped, cutting into the conversation at hand.
"Speedle. Hey, Adell. What's going on?" After a short silence on his end, he growled, "Damn it!"
His expression said it all.
Huffman had struck again.
Speed ended the call and addressed the team. "Amy Holloway is dead. The bastard got to her. But there's something else...he left a note by the body, not just a rose. Adell read it to me. It reads, and I quote, "I told you I'd have your heart. Now there's only one heart left."
Calleigh shuddered, but covered the reaction by shifting in her seat.
The Rosebud Killer had his eye on one more victim, and Horatio was sure Calleigh was it.
~~~~~
The Hummer rolled up to the latest crime scene, Amy Holloway's apartment building, and the team climbed out, going in separate directions to complete their assigned tasks.
As Calleigh combed the area for evidence samples, she took a moment to look around her and take in the 'big picture,' fitting all the clues into the context of the crime.
That's when she noticed Horatio standing in the entryway of the apartment quietly conferring with Detective Tripp. Both their expressions were stern, their gazes steely. Whatever the topic of conversation, those two were more serious than she had ever seen them.
~~~~~
"...So we're clear? You or your guys see anything, hear anything, I'm your first call."
Horatio's conspiratorial tone was addressed to Frank, but his eyes were focused across the room, somewhere in the vicinity just over Calleigh's shoulder.
"We're crystal, H; not a problem. I'm on it. Round-the clock patrols. The place will give Fort Knox a run for its money," Frank stated with conviction.
He recognized that of all the things Horatio would ever ask him to do, this one was the most important, both professionally and personally. A lot was at stake--there was no room for failure.
~~~~~
Having done all they could at the scene, the team packed up their gear and loaded back into the Hummer for the return ride to the lab. Horatio drove in silence, his mind laser-focused; Speed commandeered the front passenger seat while Delko and Calleigh shared the back. As the truck rolled on, Tim and Eric bantered to and fro doing their best to put the crime spree out of their minds, at least briefly, and Calleigh surreptitiously observed Horatio, all the while trying to puzzle out what was going on behind those ever-present sunglasses.
The team disbursed for some much needed rest, but Horatio found no sleep again that night. This was the eleventh hour-they had to find Huffman soon or Calleigh would be next. And if even a hair on her head was damaged, Horatio was sure that heavy, unbearable guilt would besiege him like never before.
He always carried the intense burden of watching over and protecting his team at all costs, the price of which he paid daily, one coin at a time; but with Calleigh, the desire was more, much more...beyond the realm of work and duty, past the politically correct into the far reaches of his sanity, where only she could touch him and make him whole. In truth, he was scared of who he was without her; therefore, to lose her was not an option.
~~~~~
Several days went by with no sign of Clyde Huffman. Work continued, other cases came and went, but the atmosphere at the lab was fraught with more tension than usual. Every unexpected noise made Calleigh jump and Horatio stalked the hallways, never seeming to sit still for very long. A caged panther, indeed.
They were now into week five of the case, and if Huffman held to his pattern, another victim could be attacked at any time.
~~~~~
Calleigh carried the latest delivery of roses, the third one so far, home with her. She counted herself incredibly lucky that no one on the team had discovered her secret yet. Ashley was too enthralled with the illicitness of the 'gifts' to realize their importance, so she wouldn't be a problem. Calleigh was aware that by hiding the roses, she was in fact, withholding evidence in an active investigation, an offense that could easily cost her the job she loved so well. But for herself, she felt it was more important to save face with the team, and especially with Horatio, than to appear to be a hapless victim.
Her hands full and her mind preoccupied, Calleigh didn't notice the shadowy figure lurking in the background as she stepped through her front room.
Dropping her purse and tote bag onto the sofa and kicking her shoes in the general direction of her bedroom, she strolled into the kitchen to pour herself a tall glass of iced tea. As she crossed through the swinging door, she thought she heard a muffled *thump* behind her, but when no other noise followed, she went about her task with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders.
Her tea now sufficiently sweetened, she looked again to the box. No sense in delaying the inevitable-she grabbed a pair of rubber gloves stowed conveniently beside the sink, pulled them on snugly and sat down in one of the cane-backed chairs at her kitchen table to examine the newest delivery. Again, there was only one dark red rose, but tucked neatly underneath was a single sheet of paper. Calleigh extracted the folded page and opened it gingerly.
Silently she read...*You're next, Blondie. I will have your--*
Her reading went unfinished as another sound, closer this time, seized her attention.
Startled, she turned toward the noise...only to have her world fade to blackness as a sharp blow to the side of her head separated Calleigh's body from consciousness.
~TBC~
~~~~~ Chapter Three: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden ~~~~~
The investigation was well into its fourth week, and although Clyde Huffman was still on the loose, there had been no more murders. The team felt they were closing in, that is, until the weekly staff meeting.
The group sat around the conference table updating each other on current case statuses.
"...and Hallelujah, the ATM case is *finally* closed! MDPD caught the guy red-handed at a bank machine in Coconut Grove last night." Calleigh was exuberant.
Speed's cell phone chirped, cutting into the conversation at hand.
"Speedle. Hey, Adell. What's going on?" After a short silence on his end, he growled, "Damn it!"
His expression said it all.
Huffman had struck again.
Speed ended the call and addressed the team. "Amy Holloway is dead. The bastard got to her. But there's something else...he left a note by the body, not just a rose. Adell read it to me. It reads, and I quote, "I told you I'd have your heart. Now there's only one heart left."
Calleigh shuddered, but covered the reaction by shifting in her seat.
The Rosebud Killer had his eye on one more victim, and Horatio was sure Calleigh was it.
~~~~~
The Hummer rolled up to the latest crime scene, Amy Holloway's apartment building, and the team climbed out, going in separate directions to complete their assigned tasks.
As Calleigh combed the area for evidence samples, she took a moment to look around her and take in the 'big picture,' fitting all the clues into the context of the crime.
That's when she noticed Horatio standing in the entryway of the apartment quietly conferring with Detective Tripp. Both their expressions were stern, their gazes steely. Whatever the topic of conversation, those two were more serious than she had ever seen them.
~~~~~
"...So we're clear? You or your guys see anything, hear anything, I'm your first call."
Horatio's conspiratorial tone was addressed to Frank, but his eyes were focused across the room, somewhere in the vicinity just over Calleigh's shoulder.
"We're crystal, H; not a problem. I'm on it. Round-the clock patrols. The place will give Fort Knox a run for its money," Frank stated with conviction.
He recognized that of all the things Horatio would ever ask him to do, this one was the most important, both professionally and personally. A lot was at stake--there was no room for failure.
~~~~~
Having done all they could at the scene, the team packed up their gear and loaded back into the Hummer for the return ride to the lab. Horatio drove in silence, his mind laser-focused; Speed commandeered the front passenger seat while Delko and Calleigh shared the back. As the truck rolled on, Tim and Eric bantered to and fro doing their best to put the crime spree out of their minds, at least briefly, and Calleigh surreptitiously observed Horatio, all the while trying to puzzle out what was going on behind those ever-present sunglasses.
The team disbursed for some much needed rest, but Horatio found no sleep again that night. This was the eleventh hour-they had to find Huffman soon or Calleigh would be next. And if even a hair on her head was damaged, Horatio was sure that heavy, unbearable guilt would besiege him like never before.
He always carried the intense burden of watching over and protecting his team at all costs, the price of which he paid daily, one coin at a time; but with Calleigh, the desire was more, much more...beyond the realm of work and duty, past the politically correct into the far reaches of his sanity, where only she could touch him and make him whole. In truth, he was scared of who he was without her; therefore, to lose her was not an option.
~~~~~
Several days went by with no sign of Clyde Huffman. Work continued, other cases came and went, but the atmosphere at the lab was fraught with more tension than usual. Every unexpected noise made Calleigh jump and Horatio stalked the hallways, never seeming to sit still for very long. A caged panther, indeed.
They were now into week five of the case, and if Huffman held to his pattern, another victim could be attacked at any time.
~~~~~
Calleigh carried the latest delivery of roses, the third one so far, home with her. She counted herself incredibly lucky that no one on the team had discovered her secret yet. Ashley was too enthralled with the illicitness of the 'gifts' to realize their importance, so she wouldn't be a problem. Calleigh was aware that by hiding the roses, she was in fact, withholding evidence in an active investigation, an offense that could easily cost her the job she loved so well. But for herself, she felt it was more important to save face with the team, and especially with Horatio, than to appear to be a hapless victim.
Her hands full and her mind preoccupied, Calleigh didn't notice the shadowy figure lurking in the background as she stepped through her front room.
Dropping her purse and tote bag onto the sofa and kicking her shoes in the general direction of her bedroom, she strolled into the kitchen to pour herself a tall glass of iced tea. As she crossed through the swinging door, she thought she heard a muffled *thump* behind her, but when no other noise followed, she went about her task with an indifferent shrug of her shoulders.
Her tea now sufficiently sweetened, she looked again to the box. No sense in delaying the inevitable-she grabbed a pair of rubber gloves stowed conveniently beside the sink, pulled them on snugly and sat down in one of the cane-backed chairs at her kitchen table to examine the newest delivery. Again, there was only one dark red rose, but tucked neatly underneath was a single sheet of paper. Calleigh extracted the folded page and opened it gingerly.
Silently she read...*You're next, Blondie. I will have your--*
Her reading went unfinished as another sound, closer this time, seized her attention.
Startled, she turned toward the noise...only to have her world fade to blackness as a sharp blow to the side of her head separated Calleigh's body from consciousness.
~TBC~