"Okay Greg, what have you got?" Catherine asked.
"I've been betrayed," Greg pouted, looking through the fridge.
"Very nice. Did you find out what the sample was?"
"You're not listening," Greg replied.
"Where would he keep it?" Caroline asked, looking on his desk.
"Ah ah! That's private property," Greg replied. He fished around on the desk and handed them a piece of paper. "Vodka. Standard. Anything else?"
"Nothing yet,"
Catherine said. "Unless, hope against hope, you've processed everything
else I
brought in here."
Greg gave her a look. "Have you seen what Grissom has me doing tonight? And…"
"And you're betrayed, we know," Catherine replied.
"Exactly," Greg nodded.
Caroline glanced over the sheet of paper. "Greg, can you do me a special favour and put a rush on the labs?"
"I'll see what I can do," Greg answered.
Catherine, with a bemused expression, followed Caroline out of the room. "Is there something going on that I should know about?"
"Nothing. Just an idea."
"Want to share it?"
Caroline shook her head. "Not yet. I'm probably totally off base anyhow."
"Okay," Catherine said slowly. "I just have to go and talk to Gil for a moment. I'll meet you in the breakroom?"
Caroline nodded. "Sure."
************************************************************************
"Oh, hey," Jim Brass said, as Caroline walked into his office. "What can I do for you?"
"I was wondering if you could look up some stats for me."
Jim narrowed his eyes. "What kind of stats?"
"Unsolved rapes on pregnant women across the US."
"You've got to be kidding me. There could be literally thousands."
"Okay, narrow them to women over four months pregnant and those that are brutalized."
Jim typed into the computer. "Still got a lot."
"Victims that survived and were forced to drink vodka before the rape."
"That's a bit more workable," Jim replied.
"Can I have a printout?"
"What do you want this for?"
"For a case I'm
working on at the moment. Please."
Jim frowned. "Does Catherine know about this?"
Caroline gave him a look.
"Personally, I wouldn't care, but you're talking about three cities here. New York, Las Vegas and New Jersey. That's three jurisdictions, two of them not ours."
"Can you at least try?"
With a grumbled, "I'll see," Brass acceded and Caroline left the room.
***********************************************************************
An hour later Brass walked into Gil's office, where he found Cath as well. "Just the two I was looking for. Two out of three isn't too bad."
"What is it?" Cath asked.
"Lists of women
fitting your current case from Jersey, New York and Vegas. Caroline
asked for
them. I'm not sure where she is, so here you go."
Catherine swore under her breath. "That's what she was up to."
"What?" Gil asked, still completely clueless.
Catherine thrust the papers at him. "Look at this one in New York in particular. It's the same MO."
"Where is she now?" Gil asked, frowning.
"I'll go find her," Catherine replied, stalking out of the room.
**********************************************************************
Caroline looked up as a pile of papers fell in front of her. "Hey," she said to Catherine.
"Gil wants you off the case."
"What?"
"Brass brought these to me. He couldn't find you and since I'm supposed to be your partner on this case he thought I should have them." Catherine sighed and sat across from Caroline. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I have to work this case. I have to find him and I'll know better than anyone when I do."
"And you'll just get emotionally involved and make mistakes."
"You can't tell me that you're not emotionally involved after talking to the victim."
"Talking to the victim and being the victim is a very different thing."
"Look, we don't even know it's the same guy…"
"Look at the MO, Caroline. If it's not the same guy it's pretty damn close." Catherine took the papers back again. "Shift is nearly over. Go home. Spend some time with your husband and daughter. And let me find the bastard. I promise we'll call you if we get anything."
Caroline nodded. "I've got something I have to do anyway."
"Okay. See you later."
************************************************************************
She winced at the hand pressed against her stomach.
"Pregnant, I see."
She whimpered, something that she had never thought she would do.
"Well, you might get to meet your kid sooner than expected. They say that sex makes a baby come faster. Should we find out?"
Pain seared through her body, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.
Caroline sat up in bed, breathing heavily. She glanced beside her, where Sam slept soundly. She got up and walked over to her dressing table and slowly slid the drawer open. For a moment she stared at the box that sat nestled amongst her clothes. She frowned and shut the drawer again.
************************************************************************
Part 6
