Disclaimer: see chapter one
Chapter 15
Surrounded by people, hidden amongst others, his true intentions concealed by what had brought them all to this place, a man stood in the crowd outside a theatre in the centre of Las Vegas. He watched closely as cars pulled up and people entered the building. All around him their fans cheered and screamed, and occasionally he joined in so his silence would not be conspicuous, but really he was looking for one person in particular – and cheering wasn't what he had in mind.
*****
Whilst Catherine and Marc were making their way to the premiere, Grissom had headed into work early, not wanting to sit around wondering if everything was going smoothly.
Upon his arrival he was informed that they were just about to call him, as another email had been received, and they were in the process of tracing it. Now he was sitting in his office, looking at paperwork, wishing that the trace could be done more quickly so that his thoughts might be diverted from Catherine. Not that he wanted to stop thinking about Catherine, but rather the potential danger he had allowed her to put herself in. This thought haunted him despite the fact that he knew there was nothing he could have done to stop Catherine from doing it. He still felt helpless. She could be in danger and he couldn't help her.
His hand moved to his phone but he stopped himself from calling her. She would kill him. He could see the look on her face, the anger in her eyes. She would know he was just concerned, but she would still severely reprimand him for not believing in her ability to do her job. So he returned to his papers and to his unyielding thoughts.
*****
"Are you nervous?" Marc asked Catherine as their limousine approached the theatre where the premiere was being held.
"A little," she laughed shyly.
Marc smiled understandingly. "You'll be fine. Just smile and keep moving. If we don't keep moving, reporters will get us and it'll be hours before we get inside."
"Okay. I'll do my best," she smiled. "What about you? Are you nervous?"
"Me? No! I've done this loads of times!" he laughed, but there was anxiety in his voice and laughter that did not go unnoticed.
"Marc!" Catherine scolded.
He looked at her and she saw that his eyes were filled with fear.
"Hey," she said softly, placing her hand on his, "it's gonna be fine."
He nodded slowly. "I just... People kept referring to it as putting myself in the line of fire, but it never felt like that's what I was doing... until now."
"I assure you there will be no firing!" Catherine stated confidently. "This dress cost me a fortune!"
Marc laughed slightly. "Do you think this guy'll be bothered about that?"
"If he knows what's good for him!"
They were both laughing as the car came to a stop outside the theatre.
Marc took a deep breath and looked out of the window.
Catherine watched him for a second. "There are police everywhere," she reassured him, "And I'll be right by your side the entire time."
Marc was silent.
"But we can always use another entrance?" she added.
"No! I won't let this stop me from being me... Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," she smiled. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be... Let's go."
Marc knocked on the door of the car, it was opened and he stepped out. Immediately cameras clicked all around him; held back by a barrier and security officers, fans cheered and screamed, frantically waving and shouting to him. He offered them a smile and a wave, which served only to make them wilder, then he turned to the car and offered his hand to Catherine. She stepped out of the limousine and her eyes instantly scanned the crowd for anything suspicious.
Catherine recognised several officers dispersed throughout the crowd, and was so occupied in analysing other members of the crowd that she jumped, startled, when Marc leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.
"Try to smile while you're worrying."
Catherine smiled, "Sorry."
"That's better," he smiled back.
The limousine pulled away to allow the entrance of the next star, and the two of them made their way towards the building.
And the man in the crowd took a step closer to the barrier.
*****
The ringing phone broke Grissom out of a daze he had fallen into – a daze which, of course, involved thoughts of Catherine.
"Grissom."
"We've traced the email," a happy female voice said. Detective Conroy. She had been assigned to cover this aspect of the case while Brass was at the theatre.
"That was quick."
"We're good." Even her voice smiled. "I'll meet you outside the lab in five."
She was about to hang up when Grissom stopped her. "Wait!" He listened for a second to ensure she was still there, then continued. "You've got an address?"
"Yeah."
"A café?"
"Yeah. I'll give you the details when I see you. Outside, now in four."
And with that she did hang up.
*****
"Stage one over with," Catherine said as they stepped through the door to the theatre. "Do you think the press got any pictures of you, or could they just see bodyguards?" she laughed.
"I was surprised by how many there were. It's nice to know so many people are willing to put themselves in danger just to keep me safe."
"It pays our wages," Catherine shrugged, with a smile.
"I see," Marc laughed.
"I w – "
Catherine was cut off as screams sounded behind them and two bodyguards pushed them to the ground. She fought to see what was happening but they were completely shielded by men in black suits. There was more screaming, and shouting, and they could hear several people running past them. Thuds and clattering, added to the mixture of sounds that were the only clues to what was going on. Then she heard Brass' voice shout "I've got him!" and a lot of the noise grew quieter as they were obviously moving outside.
When things seemed to have calmed down the bodyguards moved and Catherine and Marc were able to stand upright again. Looking towards the site of the commotion they were shocked to see a red substance splattered on the floor and one wall.
"What the hell happened?" Catherine demanded of one of the guards.
"Some maniac decided to throw paint at the woman behind you. She was wearing a fur coat," he explained.
"So it's paint," Catherine sighed with relief. Then she turned to Marc who was white as a ghost.
"Are you okay? Sit down." She led him to a bench against one of the walls and sat him down, crouching in front of him.
"I thought – "
"I know... But it wasn't. You're fine, I'm fine... The dress is fine." Her last comment had the desired effect of making Marc smile a little. "Take deep breaths, and just try to calm down... You're fine. Okay?"
Marc nodded slowly.
Catherine stood and spoke quietly to one of the bodyguards who she had noticed had been using a radio.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Everything's to go ahead as normal. The lady who got hit's fine. The guy's been taken to the station. We're to carry on as instructed. This could be a diversion, or it could be completely unrelated, but our guy could still have something planned."
Catherine nodded her understanding. "We'll take a few minutes for Marc to calm down, then we'll head into the auditorium."
The bodyguard agreed. "You should sit down with him," he suggested.
"Huh?"
"You're shaking."
Catherine looked down at her hands, and they were trembling like he had said. "I hadn't even noticed."
The bodyguard smiled pleasantly. "Go and sit down. I'll get someone to bring you some water."
Catherine smiled her appreciation and turned towards the bench, but she quickly turned back. "Hey!"
He looked at her quizzically.
"This is our secret," she smiled. "Anyone hears about it, I'll hunt you down."
He laughed and nodded. "Now, sit!"
With the slightest glare of protest, she obeyed, sitting beside Marc on the bench. Noticing that his hands were shaking more than hers, she took hold of them. "You're fine. Just keep repeating that to yourself in between reminding yourself to breathe," she said light-heartedly.
Marc smiled what would have been a little laugh if he hadn't been so tense. "Thank you, Catherine."
"I didn't do anything. I was on the floor with you."
"Thanks for being supportive, and, I suppose, looking after me. You must think I'm soft."
"I do not! This is the only reaction I would expect. You're allowed to be scared!"
"Thanks... But can we make a deal?"
"What?"
"You keep my secret, I'll keep yours."
Catherine laughed. "What gave it away?"
"Your hands aren't stopping mine from shaking, they're helping them."
"Ah!" she grinned. "We've got a deal."
For a few minutes they both sat in silence. A member of the theatre staff brought them some water, which they accepted with a friendly thank you, then they returned to the silence, occupied with thoughts of what could have been.
*****
"I'm getting sick of this!" Grissom exclaimed as he and Detective Conroy left the "Log Me On" internet café. "The police department should set up an internet café security program to ensure they all have operational security cameras... that particularly point at the consoles criminals will use."
"Suggest it to the Sherriff," Conroy grinned.
"I'll let you have that pleasure... I'm missing something on this case. There's no way there can be this little evidence."
"Maybe there is... He doesn't want to get caught."
"But he does want to get caught... Why choose a celebrity if you don't want the publicity?" Grissom commented climbing into his tahoe. "I'll have to go through everything again."
Conroy nodded. "It'll give you something to do... Keep your mind off Catherine."
Grissom looked at her. "That's very bold, Detective."
Conroy smiled. "Sorry."
"Did Jim put you up to it?"
She nodded.
Grissom shook his head. "He's so nosey."
They shared a short laugh about the police captain, then fell into a serious silence, which Conroy broke.
"Catherine can take care of herself. And there are like fifty other people there being paid to take care of her. She'll be fine."
"I know," Grissom said solemnly.
"I'm sure you do," she nodded.
"Let me know if you come up with anything," he said, settling into his seat.
"I will... And, just so you know, when Brass asks, I learned nothing."
Grissom nodded his thanks, the two exchanged smiles, and he pulled out of the car park.
*****
Three hours later Catherine and Marc emerged, unharmed, from the theatre. Still surrounded by bodyguards they made their way to the waiting limousine.
"That wasn't bad," Catherine smiled, knowing that her praise of the film was an understatement.
"Yeah, was okay," Marc laughed.
"You seemed totally enthralled in it."
"I was! I surprised myself actually. Thought I wouldn't be able to relax."
"It's good that you did. You needed a break."
"I know. It was nice. To get lost in a different world for a couple of hours... Now, I wanna go home, put my feet up and listen to Ryanne pester me about the fact that she couldn't come," he smiled.
They slid into the limo and began the journey back to Marc's. Catherine's car was there from earlier, and she just wanted to collect it and head straight to Grissom. She'd go to a crime scene if she had to, she needed his arms around her. Though she wouldn't like to admit it, the incident earlier had shaken her, and she wanted the comfort of his presence.
*****
"Coffee?" Marc offered as they stood in the cool night air outside his house.
"No thanks. I'd better get going."
"To see Grissom?"
"You sure you're not psychic?" she smiled. "Tonight was unusual. But nice."
"Yeah. Thanks again for – "
"Hey, don't mention it – literally," she laughed. "I'll see you soon." She gave him a hug. "Now, you go in, find Ryanne and tell her she didn't miss much."
"I'll wait til you've gone."
"No! I'm gonna find out where Gil is before I set off. You could be standing out here all night. Go inside! That's an order from your bodyguard," she smiled.
"Okay. Goodnight. And thanks again."
"Goodnight."
She got into her car and Marc opened his front door, waved to her and went inside. Taking out her phone, she dialled Grissom's cell and waited for a reply. She didn't have to wait long.
"Hey!" she said, smiling uncontrollably at the sound of his voice.
"Hey yourself. Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"I heard about the paint incident. Are you okay?"
"I will be when I've seen you," she replied, the memory of the fear returning now that she was out of the situation that required her professionalism. "Are you at the lab?"
"Yes. You should go home and rest. You've had quite a night."
"I need to see you first. No arguments. So I'll come straight over there. Don't get called to any crime scenes! Or at least let me know where you're going."
"Okay. But you're not staying all night!"
"Bossy!"
"That's the idea."
"Okay, I'll see you s – " She stopped when she saw Marc running towards the car. "Gil, I'll call you back." She leapt out of the tahoe and ran towards him. "What's wrong?"
Tears were streaming down his face and his entire body was shaking and gasping for air. "Ry - ... You have... you have ...," he tried to speak through the gasps, "You have to ... tell me ... it isn't true... tell me!"
Catherine felt tears streaming down her own cheeks as she realised what he was talking about. She ran into the house and, not seeing anything in the foyer, ran into the lounge. And her fears were confirmed. Ryanne's lifeless body lay on the sofa.
"She's just sleeping, right?" Marc cried from the room doorway.
But for the absence of the rise and fall of her chest she did look like she was sleeping, but they both knew she wasn't. Catherine gently pressed two fingers to Ryanne's neck to check for a pulse she knew wouldn't be there.
"Catherine," Marc barely whispered through his sobs.
Catherine wiped the tears from her face and turned to him and shook her head.
"No!... She can't... She can't be!" he shouted. "No!... No... No..."
With each word the volume decreased, as energy left him. He crossed the room and went to embrace the body, but Catherine stepped in front of him.
"I want to hold her," he cried.
"I know you do," Catherine responded, hating the fact that she had to stop him. "But you can't."
"I need to hold her," he sobbed, collapsing into Catherine's arms. "I need to – "
"I know... But we can't disturb the scene," she cried, trying her best to calm down, but she couldn't. The more upset Marc got, the more upset she got, and as he dropped onto his knees on the floor, she followed him, and wrapped her arms around him.
Two officers ran in, having seen the exchange between Catherine and Marc outside. She looked up at them, and with one look told them they knew what to do. They went about securing the scene, and contacting the relevant police and crime scene investigators, whilst she turned her attention back to Marc, and held him even tighter, allowing her own tears to fall unrestrained, as he lay in her arms and broke down.
TBC...
Chapter 15
Surrounded by people, hidden amongst others, his true intentions concealed by what had brought them all to this place, a man stood in the crowd outside a theatre in the centre of Las Vegas. He watched closely as cars pulled up and people entered the building. All around him their fans cheered and screamed, and occasionally he joined in so his silence would not be conspicuous, but really he was looking for one person in particular – and cheering wasn't what he had in mind.
*****
Whilst Catherine and Marc were making their way to the premiere, Grissom had headed into work early, not wanting to sit around wondering if everything was going smoothly.
Upon his arrival he was informed that they were just about to call him, as another email had been received, and they were in the process of tracing it. Now he was sitting in his office, looking at paperwork, wishing that the trace could be done more quickly so that his thoughts might be diverted from Catherine. Not that he wanted to stop thinking about Catherine, but rather the potential danger he had allowed her to put herself in. This thought haunted him despite the fact that he knew there was nothing he could have done to stop Catherine from doing it. He still felt helpless. She could be in danger and he couldn't help her.
His hand moved to his phone but he stopped himself from calling her. She would kill him. He could see the look on her face, the anger in her eyes. She would know he was just concerned, but she would still severely reprimand him for not believing in her ability to do her job. So he returned to his papers and to his unyielding thoughts.
*****
"Are you nervous?" Marc asked Catherine as their limousine approached the theatre where the premiere was being held.
"A little," she laughed shyly.
Marc smiled understandingly. "You'll be fine. Just smile and keep moving. If we don't keep moving, reporters will get us and it'll be hours before we get inside."
"Okay. I'll do my best," she smiled. "What about you? Are you nervous?"
"Me? No! I've done this loads of times!" he laughed, but there was anxiety in his voice and laughter that did not go unnoticed.
"Marc!" Catherine scolded.
He looked at her and she saw that his eyes were filled with fear.
"Hey," she said softly, placing her hand on his, "it's gonna be fine."
He nodded slowly. "I just... People kept referring to it as putting myself in the line of fire, but it never felt like that's what I was doing... until now."
"I assure you there will be no firing!" Catherine stated confidently. "This dress cost me a fortune!"
Marc laughed slightly. "Do you think this guy'll be bothered about that?"
"If he knows what's good for him!"
They were both laughing as the car came to a stop outside the theatre.
Marc took a deep breath and looked out of the window.
Catherine watched him for a second. "There are police everywhere," she reassured him, "And I'll be right by your side the entire time."
Marc was silent.
"But we can always use another entrance?" she added.
"No! I won't let this stop me from being me... Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," she smiled. "Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be... Let's go."
Marc knocked on the door of the car, it was opened and he stepped out. Immediately cameras clicked all around him; held back by a barrier and security officers, fans cheered and screamed, frantically waving and shouting to him. He offered them a smile and a wave, which served only to make them wilder, then he turned to the car and offered his hand to Catherine. She stepped out of the limousine and her eyes instantly scanned the crowd for anything suspicious.
Catherine recognised several officers dispersed throughout the crowd, and was so occupied in analysing other members of the crowd that she jumped, startled, when Marc leaned close to her and whispered in her ear.
"Try to smile while you're worrying."
Catherine smiled, "Sorry."
"That's better," he smiled back.
The limousine pulled away to allow the entrance of the next star, and the two of them made their way towards the building.
And the man in the crowd took a step closer to the barrier.
*****
The ringing phone broke Grissom out of a daze he had fallen into – a daze which, of course, involved thoughts of Catherine.
"Grissom."
"We've traced the email," a happy female voice said. Detective Conroy. She had been assigned to cover this aspect of the case while Brass was at the theatre.
"That was quick."
"We're good." Even her voice smiled. "I'll meet you outside the lab in five."
She was about to hang up when Grissom stopped her. "Wait!" He listened for a second to ensure she was still there, then continued. "You've got an address?"
"Yeah."
"A café?"
"Yeah. I'll give you the details when I see you. Outside, now in four."
And with that she did hang up.
*****
"Stage one over with," Catherine said as they stepped through the door to the theatre. "Do you think the press got any pictures of you, or could they just see bodyguards?" she laughed.
"I was surprised by how many there were. It's nice to know so many people are willing to put themselves in danger just to keep me safe."
"It pays our wages," Catherine shrugged, with a smile.
"I see," Marc laughed.
"I w – "
Catherine was cut off as screams sounded behind them and two bodyguards pushed them to the ground. She fought to see what was happening but they were completely shielded by men in black suits. There was more screaming, and shouting, and they could hear several people running past them. Thuds and clattering, added to the mixture of sounds that were the only clues to what was going on. Then she heard Brass' voice shout "I've got him!" and a lot of the noise grew quieter as they were obviously moving outside.
When things seemed to have calmed down the bodyguards moved and Catherine and Marc were able to stand upright again. Looking towards the site of the commotion they were shocked to see a red substance splattered on the floor and one wall.
"What the hell happened?" Catherine demanded of one of the guards.
"Some maniac decided to throw paint at the woman behind you. She was wearing a fur coat," he explained.
"So it's paint," Catherine sighed with relief. Then she turned to Marc who was white as a ghost.
"Are you okay? Sit down." She led him to a bench against one of the walls and sat him down, crouching in front of him.
"I thought – "
"I know... But it wasn't. You're fine, I'm fine... The dress is fine." Her last comment had the desired effect of making Marc smile a little. "Take deep breaths, and just try to calm down... You're fine. Okay?"
Marc nodded slowly.
Catherine stood and spoke quietly to one of the bodyguards who she had noticed had been using a radio.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Everything's to go ahead as normal. The lady who got hit's fine. The guy's been taken to the station. We're to carry on as instructed. This could be a diversion, or it could be completely unrelated, but our guy could still have something planned."
Catherine nodded her understanding. "We'll take a few minutes for Marc to calm down, then we'll head into the auditorium."
The bodyguard agreed. "You should sit down with him," he suggested.
"Huh?"
"You're shaking."
Catherine looked down at her hands, and they were trembling like he had said. "I hadn't even noticed."
The bodyguard smiled pleasantly. "Go and sit down. I'll get someone to bring you some water."
Catherine smiled her appreciation and turned towards the bench, but she quickly turned back. "Hey!"
He looked at her quizzically.
"This is our secret," she smiled. "Anyone hears about it, I'll hunt you down."
He laughed and nodded. "Now, sit!"
With the slightest glare of protest, she obeyed, sitting beside Marc on the bench. Noticing that his hands were shaking more than hers, she took hold of them. "You're fine. Just keep repeating that to yourself in between reminding yourself to breathe," she said light-heartedly.
Marc smiled what would have been a little laugh if he hadn't been so tense. "Thank you, Catherine."
"I didn't do anything. I was on the floor with you."
"Thanks for being supportive, and, I suppose, looking after me. You must think I'm soft."
"I do not! This is the only reaction I would expect. You're allowed to be scared!"
"Thanks... But can we make a deal?"
"What?"
"You keep my secret, I'll keep yours."
Catherine laughed. "What gave it away?"
"Your hands aren't stopping mine from shaking, they're helping them."
"Ah!" she grinned. "We've got a deal."
For a few minutes they both sat in silence. A member of the theatre staff brought them some water, which they accepted with a friendly thank you, then they returned to the silence, occupied with thoughts of what could have been.
*****
"I'm getting sick of this!" Grissom exclaimed as he and Detective Conroy left the "Log Me On" internet café. "The police department should set up an internet café security program to ensure they all have operational security cameras... that particularly point at the consoles criminals will use."
"Suggest it to the Sherriff," Conroy grinned.
"I'll let you have that pleasure... I'm missing something on this case. There's no way there can be this little evidence."
"Maybe there is... He doesn't want to get caught."
"But he does want to get caught... Why choose a celebrity if you don't want the publicity?" Grissom commented climbing into his tahoe. "I'll have to go through everything again."
Conroy nodded. "It'll give you something to do... Keep your mind off Catherine."
Grissom looked at her. "That's very bold, Detective."
Conroy smiled. "Sorry."
"Did Jim put you up to it?"
She nodded.
Grissom shook his head. "He's so nosey."
They shared a short laugh about the police captain, then fell into a serious silence, which Conroy broke.
"Catherine can take care of herself. And there are like fifty other people there being paid to take care of her. She'll be fine."
"I know," Grissom said solemnly.
"I'm sure you do," she nodded.
"Let me know if you come up with anything," he said, settling into his seat.
"I will... And, just so you know, when Brass asks, I learned nothing."
Grissom nodded his thanks, the two exchanged smiles, and he pulled out of the car park.
*****
Three hours later Catherine and Marc emerged, unharmed, from the theatre. Still surrounded by bodyguards they made their way to the waiting limousine.
"That wasn't bad," Catherine smiled, knowing that her praise of the film was an understatement.
"Yeah, was okay," Marc laughed.
"You seemed totally enthralled in it."
"I was! I surprised myself actually. Thought I wouldn't be able to relax."
"It's good that you did. You needed a break."
"I know. It was nice. To get lost in a different world for a couple of hours... Now, I wanna go home, put my feet up and listen to Ryanne pester me about the fact that she couldn't come," he smiled.
They slid into the limo and began the journey back to Marc's. Catherine's car was there from earlier, and she just wanted to collect it and head straight to Grissom. She'd go to a crime scene if she had to, she needed his arms around her. Though she wouldn't like to admit it, the incident earlier had shaken her, and she wanted the comfort of his presence.
*****
"Coffee?" Marc offered as they stood in the cool night air outside his house.
"No thanks. I'd better get going."
"To see Grissom?"
"You sure you're not psychic?" she smiled. "Tonight was unusual. But nice."
"Yeah. Thanks again for – "
"Hey, don't mention it – literally," she laughed. "I'll see you soon." She gave him a hug. "Now, you go in, find Ryanne and tell her she didn't miss much."
"I'll wait til you've gone."
"No! I'm gonna find out where Gil is before I set off. You could be standing out here all night. Go inside! That's an order from your bodyguard," she smiled.
"Okay. Goodnight. And thanks again."
"Goodnight."
She got into her car and Marc opened his front door, waved to her and went inside. Taking out her phone, she dialled Grissom's cell and waited for a reply. She didn't have to wait long.
"Hey!" she said, smiling uncontrollably at the sound of his voice.
"Hey yourself. Are you okay?"
"Yeah."
"I heard about the paint incident. Are you okay?"
"I will be when I've seen you," she replied, the memory of the fear returning now that she was out of the situation that required her professionalism. "Are you at the lab?"
"Yes. You should go home and rest. You've had quite a night."
"I need to see you first. No arguments. So I'll come straight over there. Don't get called to any crime scenes! Or at least let me know where you're going."
"Okay. But you're not staying all night!"
"Bossy!"
"That's the idea."
"Okay, I'll see you s – " She stopped when she saw Marc running towards the car. "Gil, I'll call you back." She leapt out of the tahoe and ran towards him. "What's wrong?"
Tears were streaming down his face and his entire body was shaking and gasping for air. "Ry - ... You have... you have ...," he tried to speak through the gasps, "You have to ... tell me ... it isn't true... tell me!"
Catherine felt tears streaming down her own cheeks as she realised what he was talking about. She ran into the house and, not seeing anything in the foyer, ran into the lounge. And her fears were confirmed. Ryanne's lifeless body lay on the sofa.
"She's just sleeping, right?" Marc cried from the room doorway.
But for the absence of the rise and fall of her chest she did look like she was sleeping, but they both knew she wasn't. Catherine gently pressed two fingers to Ryanne's neck to check for a pulse she knew wouldn't be there.
"Catherine," Marc barely whispered through his sobs.
Catherine wiped the tears from her face and turned to him and shook her head.
"No!... She can't... She can't be!" he shouted. "No!... No... No..."
With each word the volume decreased, as energy left him. He crossed the room and went to embrace the body, but Catherine stepped in front of him.
"I want to hold her," he cried.
"I know you do," Catherine responded, hating the fact that she had to stop him. "But you can't."
"I need to hold her," he sobbed, collapsing into Catherine's arms. "I need to – "
"I know... But we can't disturb the scene," she cried, trying her best to calm down, but she couldn't. The more upset Marc got, the more upset she got, and as he dropped onto his knees on the floor, she followed him, and wrapped her arms around him.
Two officers ran in, having seen the exchange between Catherine and Marc outside. She looked up at them, and with one look told them they knew what to do. They went about securing the scene, and contacting the relevant police and crime scene investigators, whilst she turned her attention back to Marc, and held him even tighter, allowing her own tears to fall unrestrained, as he lay in her arms and broke down.
TBC...