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 Nine:
Nick walked in the lab that night feeling fantastic. He couldn't stop smiling and knew that eventually either Catherine or Sara would notice and try to beat the details out of him. He wasn't sure which of them would be worse.
His breakfast with Gypsy had been perfect. Nick had enjoyed her company immensely and he suspected she liked him as well. He had in fact agreed to meet her at her house after his shift. Gypsy Stone might have had some minor fame, but she hadn't let it go to her head. She seemed well grounded and appeared irritated whenever her fame was mentioned.
When Nick had asked why she wanted to see him again she had replied that it was his Texan charm. He laughed.
Now as he walked through the lab, he resolved that he would keep this relationship somewhat to himself. Sara already knew that he had breakfast with Gypsy. She would disapprove, but she wouldn't say anything to the others.. Thinking of Sara reminded him that he intended to talk to her tonight during the shift. He was still troubled by her melancholy attitude lately and wanted to help if he could.
Nick wasn't a stupid man. He could guess that most of Sara's problems started and ended with Gil Grissom. The two CSI's had known each other before Nick had met either of them, but neither had been willing thus far to elaborate on the nature of their previous relationship or even how they met. When Sara had transferred from San Francisco four years earlier, she and Grissom had seemed to be very close friends. Something had happened during the last few years to put a serious strain on that relationship. Whenever Nick questioned Sara about it she would just smile sadly and change the subject.
Nick treasured his friendship with Sara, but he often wished she could be a bit more open with him. Over the course of their friendship he had revealed many of his deepest secrets to her. Including the fact that he had been molested as a child. Sara was an understanding friend. She hadn't pitied him after hearing that part of his past. Instead she stayed with him that day, watching movies and eventually slept on his couch. Sara was more than willing to always assist with his troubles, but always refused to share her personal concerns with him.
It was the one thing about Sara Sidle that frustrated Nick beyond all others.
"Hey buddy, you ignoring me?"
Nick turned his head around and saw Catherine behind him. He must have walked right by her. "Hey Catherine."
"Daydreaming again?" she asked with a wink.
"Yep. About you in fact. You wouldn't happen to have any pictures from your..."
"Stop right there buster. Don't even ask it," she warned jokingly.
Nick mock sighed. "You always shoot me down."
"Careful or one day I just might," she quipped as she made a gun symbol with her hand and pretended to shoot him. "Anyways how is the case coming along?"
"Its not. I've got no prints. No real evidence of any kind. Her manager and brother both had solid alibi's. I contacted her last boyfriend who is now happily married with two children. His wife says that he was home with her when this happened. Looks like I might be heading towards a dead end," he replied guiltily.
Catherine smiled warmly. "Hey don't worry about it Nick. The PD will keep a watch on her for awhile. After she has an alarm system installed she should be more secure."
Nick frowned. "Cath you are talking like this case is over."
Catherine nodded. "It is. Well at least for the moment. I have a multiple DB that Grissom is going to assign you to help me with. If we finish that you can go back to the Gypsy Stone case, but until then we have our priorities. And we both know that a DB has priority over a B&E."
Nick sighed. "Man I don't know what I am going to tell Gypsy."
"Don't tell her anything just yet. Lets see how this case I got goes. Who knows, in no time at all you could be working Gypsy's case again."
Nick gave Catherine an odd look. "Catherine we both know that no case is solved in forty minutes. Man I hate leaving a case behind. I can't wait till Warrick gets back. I don't suppose you could use Greg instead?" Nick suggested hopefully.
Catherine openly glared at him. "Don't even think about it hotshot. Lets get going. Griss skipped assignments tonight since there was only the addition of this multiple DB."
Nick sighed deeply and followed her out of the building and into the parking lot. He silently hoped that this case wouldn't take too long.
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When Nick walked into the alleyway where Jim Brass awaited them, he felt his gag reflex nearly burst. There would be no shifting back to Gypsy's case tonight. Or anytime soon for that matter.
"Oh my god," Catherine whispered. "Jim what happened here?"
Nick stared at the gorge before him and tried his best to detach himself from the scene. Lying before them were two women who had been stripped naked, beheaded and skinned. He saw several organs lying around the women and assumed that they must have been ripped or cut from their bodies. Each woman's heart had been placed in their left hands. Their heads had been placed neck first at the vagina. Some kind of organ appeared to be forced into their mouths. Whomever did this to them also took the time to remove large portions of skin from each woman's body.
"We will have to use dental records to ID them," he commented softly as he stared fleshless remains of the victims.
David arrived a few minutes later and gasped at the sight before him. He quickly gathered his composure and gave the CSIs his assessment after making a once over examination of both bodies.
"Well I obviously won't be able to determine cause of death until we get them back to the lab. It could obviously be any number of things," he said calmly. "I can't give you the time of death right now as it appears their livers are missing. Lets get these ladies back to the lab," the young coroner said as he stood up and turned away. The scene was clearly as disturbing to him as everyone else.
Nick and Catherine took their time gathering evidence after the bodies were prepared for delivery back to the lab.
"Hey check this out. A half burnt cigarette here near the bodies," he said as he bagged the evidence.
Nick discovered several bloody shoe prints around the bodies and took a casting mold of them. Catherine nearly shouted with glee when she found two large plastic wraps covered in blood inside of a nearby dumpster.
"Our guy is being very considerate leaving us this evidence and all," Nick commented in a soft tone of voice.
Catherine glanced over at the younger CSI. "You know, outside of that floater I worked with Sara not too long ago, this is easily my most disgusting case to date."
Nick nodded. "Yeah me too."
Catherine glanced at her watch. They had been out here for three hours. "Come on kiddo, I think we have everything we are going to get from this scene. Lets head back to the lab."
Nick took one last look at the crime scene and nodded his agreement.
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By the end of shift Nick felt exhausted. He considered breaking his date with Gypsy and picked up his cell to do so, but thought that perhaps seeing her would cheer him up a bit. Instead on the way to her home he used his cell to call Sara, who he never had a chance to talk to.
"Sidle," she answered.
Nick thought she sounded grumpy. "Hey Sar, its Nick."
"Oh hey Nick." Her tone sounded lighter.
He smiled. "You know you didn't have to run off yesterday. I wanted to have breakfast with you."
She chuckled on the other line. "Hey I wouldn't ever ask you trade a meal with a beautiful woman for a vegetarian breakfast with me. Did you have fun?"
"Yeah I did. In fact I am surprised you aren't jumping down my throat," Nick commented.
"What about the fact you are spending personal time with the victim of a crime? Normally I would, but I heard you had to work a hellish case last night. I'm feeling considerate. Take advantage of it while you can."
They chatted casually for a few more minutes and Nick decided that perhaps he had been over reacting about Sara's mood. 'She has her ups and downs just like everyone else,' he thought. He bid her farewell as he pulled into Gypsy's driveway. A uniformed police officer still sat parked in car in front of her house. Nick waved to him. The officer wouldn't think anything of him being here since he was working the case.
When Nick knocked on her door Gypsy answered almost immediately. Upon seeing the expression upon his face she furrowed her brow and let him in.
"Whats wrong?" she asked with concern.
Nick laughed sarcastically. "How do you know something is wrong?"
Gypsy smiled warmly. "I told you once before that you read like an open book Nick Stokes."
Nick gave a slight grimace at the thought of being so transparent. "I had a rough night."
"You want to talk about it?" she offered as she took his jacket and placed it over the arm rest of her couch.
"Naw. I just want to forget about it for now. I probably shouldn't have come here, I..."
"Nonsense," she interrupted. "I want to get to know you Nick. Knowing you means I'll have to see what you are like when you are down as well, right? Come on let me make you breakfast," she said as leaned up to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.
Nick smiled as he followed her into the kitchen. He felt better already.
To Be Continued...