Title: Las Vegas Knights

Disclaimer: I don't own anything. These character's are owned by some ridiculously rich people who think that character development means that you turn one of your best characters into an alcoholic.

Chapter Five:

Gypsy Stone opened her front door before Nick could knock. "Nick Stokes. I can't say how pleased I am to see you again," she said smiling.

Nick grinned and tried not to blush. "Hi again Miss Stone. I was hoping I could ask you a few more questions."

Gypsy opened the door to invite him in. "Of course Nick. You did say you were coming back last night didn't you?"

"Well yes Miss Stone..."

She interrupted him with a smile. "Call me Gypsy. 'Miss Stone' makes me feel like an old woman."

"Okay Gypsy." Nick said as he walked into her home and began looking around. He was pleased to note that she hadn't interferred with the crime scene. "Gypsy I was wondering if you wouldn't mind me having a look around your home? Your bedroom, bathroom and other rooms that we didn't get to examine last night."

She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. "May I ask why? The crime scene is out here."

"Well we couldn't find any forced signs of entry last night. I'm hoping that further investigation will help us understand how this person was able to get in your home," he explained.

She nodded with understanding. "Of course. I'll be out on the veranda."

Nick opened his field kit and began inspecting each room of the woman's house thoroughly. Around the windows of some of the rooms he found a single set of prints which he guessed probably belonged to Gypsy herself. He printed them anyways. Also each window was locked and after examining the dust around the locks he assumed they had been that way for some time. In the kitchen there was a door that led to Miss Stone's backyard, but Nick had inspected this entrance the previous night.

It seemed that the perpetrator had somehow gotten into Gypsy Stone's house without breaking in any windows or forcing open any locks. That person then walked into her living area and used blood to write a hateful message on her wall. Once they finished they left a baggie with semen in it on her coffee table. The thing that struck Nick as particularly odd, was the fact that the person who had done this didn't cause any other damage within Miss Stone's home. On either side of the bloody printing were pictures of Gypsy herself which were not defaced at all.

Nick walked up close to the writing on the wall. Whomever had written this message had taken their sweet time making neat, easily defined letters. Despite being written in blood the writing was almost pristine with hardly any dripping at all. The perpetrator claimed to love Gypsy in the message, but also promised to rip her heart out. 'Maybe someone she rejected?' Nick thought. He squinted his eyes together for a few minutes before smiling as an idea struck him. Taking out his ALS he ran the instrument slowly along the blood pattern on the wall.

"Ah ha!" he exclaimed happily after a moment. He gathered his tweezers and an evidence envelope from his kit and pulled a few fibers off of the wall. Putting the packet away Nick began to inspect the carpet below the message. He couldn't find any blood drops at all. The perp had been very considerate in making sure that the mess was contained.

Finally Nick put his gatherings and kit away before going to find Gypsy Stone on the veranda.

"Gypsy?" he called out politely as he opened the door.

"Over here Nick."

Nick turned to his left and saw her sitting on a small bench sipping what looked like a glass of wine. She was wearing a t-shirt and some boxer shorts. Nick had to stop himself from grinning when he saw a pair of bunny slippers on her feet.

"Gypsy I was just wondering if it would be possible to talk to your brother?"

She laughed. "Please don't tell me you are considering my brother for this?"

"Well I would like to rule him out as a suspect," Nick replied calmly.

"Alright. I have your card and I'll have him call you," she said without looking his way.

"Gypsy I also need to know if anyone else has access to your home? Friends? Family? Someone you might have been dating, or are still dating?"

She turned in her seat to look at him gravely. "You are thinking that someone I know did this?" she asked incredulously.

"I am open to all possibilities," Nick answered diplomatically.

Gypsy snorted and stood up. She swallowed the last of her wine and walked back into her home. Nick followed her quietly.

"I don't have friends. My brother is my only family and I haven't dated anyone in almost four years. Does that answer your question?"

Nick frowned. "I'd still like to get the name and number of your last boyfriend if you don't mind."

Gypsy scoffed but didn't refuse him. "Hold on let me go check my address book." She returned a minute later with the information he requested.

"Once again is there anyone else that has access to your home? Perhaps your agent?"

Gypsy rolled her eyes. "Yeah my agent does. You want his number too?"

Nick felt a bit uncomfortable with the woman now. She had seemed open and friendly earlier, but now she appeared to be irritated. "Gypsy I am just trying to find out who did this to you. As an investigator I have to suspect everyone. Someone out there might intend you harm, and until we find them I have to keep my eyes open to every possibility."

Gypsy sighed and leaned against her kitchen counter before letting a small smile curve the corners of her lips. "Your a nice guy aren't you Nick? I hope I didn't embarrass you too much last night," she said as a way of changing the subject.

Nick lowered his head and chuckled lightly. "You didn't embarrass me much," he said confidently.

"Your friend told me that an autograph would make your day. You seem a little more composed now."

"Actually you seem quite composed yourself," he observed. "Aren't you a bit scared that some maniac might be after you?"

Gypsy shrugged lightly. "Sorta. Not really. I try not to let things like this get to me. I figure it comes with the job. I get to run around screaming like an idiot in second rate horror films and every moron with a copy of one of my movies shows his appreciation for the films by acting like a fan boy or sending me something horribly repulsive like death threats."

A deafening silence fell between them as Nick quickly stood up to leave while Gypsy's eyes widened when she realized what she had said.

"Ah yes. Those fan boys must be terrible to deal with," Nick muttered as he began to gather up his supplies.

"Nick wait. Please. I'm sorry."

"I need to go. I have to get this evidence back to the lab," he replied as he picked up his field kit.

"Wait please," she said as she grabbed his arm. "I wasn't talking about you when I said that. I am just frustrated that this is happening. Let me make it up to you somehow."

"Gypsy you don't need to make anything up to me. I am not mad," Nick said sincerely.

"No but you are embarrassed aren't you? You read like an open book Nick," she said softly, still holding onto his arm. "Let me take you out to breakfast. Don't say no," she added when he looked shocked.

Nick cleared his throat. "I don't know if that is a good idea," he replied.

Gypsy lowered her head smiling sadly and let loose her hold on his arm. "Okay. I'll see you later then?"

Nick simply nodded and walked away. Once he got inside his vehicle he turned on the ignition and drove off. After a few blocks Nick pulled out his cell and dialed Catherine's number.

"Hey Catherine. Your going to love this. I found fibers in the blood on the wall." He paused to let her talk. "Yeah give me ten minutes. Cath I've got to tell you that if I were a betting man I would swear this was an inside job."

To Be Continued...