Upon arriving at the crime scene, Horatio immediately got out of the H2,
but Calleigh, on the other hand, seemed frozen in her seat. She didn't even
unbuckle herself. She just sat there staring at the house that had been
taped off by the police. It wasn't until Horatio walked over and opened her
door that she actually moved.
"You ok?" he immediately asked, his concerned nearly masked by the normal calmness of his voice.
"Yup, fine," she answered quickly, unbuckling her seat belt. "I was just zonin'," she said, hoping she sounded somewhat convincing.
Horatio didn't exactly believe her, especially considering Calleigh wasn't the zoning type, but he decided not to push it. He simply nodded and then stepped back, giving the blonde ballistics expert room to get out of the Hummer.
They both grabbed their gear and headed under the police tape. They walked up the path to the front door and then walked inside where several cops were standing. That was when Yelina Salas walked up to them. "You weren't joking when you said you'd be here soon," she commented, having thought that Horatio and his entire shift would have been home and then had to have gone back to the crime lab to get their gear, which ultimately would have caused them to arrive much later.
"We were still at the lab catching up on work," Horatio stated, answering his sister-in-law's unasked questioned.
"I should have known," the woman said, a wry smile on her lips.
Wanting to get to business, Horatio treated Yelina with a small, reserved smile before asking, "So where is the body?"
"Right this way," she replied, gesturing for the two CSIs to follow her toward the back of the house. She led them down a large hall and turned the corner into a room that was undoubtedly the kitchen.
Both CSIs stopped and just stared at the scene in front of them. The walls of the kitchen were completely riddled with bullet holes, but even stranger than that was that judging by the holes and the bullet casings on the floor, more than four different weapons, all of different caliber, had been used to cause all the damage. Stepping around the island in the middle of the kitchen, they finally saw the body of the woman lying in a huge pool of blood. She too was riddled with bullets just like the walls of her kitchen.
After overcoming his initial surprise, Horatio turned to Yelina and asked, "Do we have an ID on this woman yet?"
Before the detective could answer, Calleigh's slightly quivering voice cut her off. "Riley McBane," she said, her eyes not straying from the body to see Horatio's perplexed look.
"Excuse me?" Horatio questioned.
"Her-her name is Riley McBane," Calleigh clarified before finally dragging her eyes away from the bullet riddled corpse and looked up at her boss.
Horatio noticed that the blonde had tears in her eyes. He frowned, both confused and concerned. "Do you know this woman?" he asked softly.
Swallowing hard, Calleigh nodded slowly as a single tear escaped down her cheek.
After casting a quick glance Yelina's way letting her know he'd be back in a few minutes, Horatio took silently took Calleigh by the arm and led her out of the house. He walked her all the way to the Hummer before turning her so that she was facing him. Then, in a very careful tone, he asked, "How do you know Riley?"
Calleigh looked as if she were about ready to break down into sobs. Tears were swimming in her eyes, her bottom lip was quivering, and her breathing was irregular as she tried to keep herself together. After managing to swallow down the lump in her throat, she finally found her voice and was able to reply. "Riley and I grew up together," she began to explain, her voice shaky. "She recently moved here from Louisiana with her work. She-uh-she works as a business consultant."
Horatio listened to her, his face soft. "So," he began slowly, "you and Riley were friends?"
Calleigh nodded in confirmation as a few more tears made their way down her cheeks. "Best friends," she said, choked up. She then looked down at the ground in an attempt to hide her tears from the man in front of her. "We're goin' –we were goin' to have lunch tomorrow afternoon," she added with a sniff.
Horatio let out a slow sigh and took a step closer to Calleigh, wrapping his arms around her. He held her close for a few moments, comforting her as she continued to fight the urge to break down into sobs. Finally letting her go, he looked down at her, saying, "I'm going to call Eric and Speed and get them down here. And then I'm going to take you home."
Calleigh's head shot up. "I'm not goin', Horatio. I'm gonna stay here and process this crime scene with you," she protested.
"No, you're not," Horatio replied, his voice calm and commanding. "You're too involved."
"That's exactly why I need to be a part of this!"
"And that's exactly why I won't allow it." Horatio's features were solid. There was no way he was going to let Calleigh get more involved in this than she already was.
"Horatio, please," the blonde pleaded desperately, more tears welling up in her eyes. She understood where Horatio was coming from when he said he didn't want her working on the case, but she didn't care this time. She didn't care that she was "too involved." Her childhood friend had been killed and she wanted to know why! So screw ethics! She wanted to work this scene!
"I'm sorry, Calleigh," was all he said before he took his cell phone out, flipped it open, dialed a number, and then turned away from the ballistics expert.
Utterly frustrated, Calleigh raked her hand through her hair and leaned up against the H2 as she listened to Horatio talk to who she now identified to be Speed. She couldn't believe he was doing this to her. She understood it, but couldn't believe it.
Moments later, Horatio got off his phone and looked over at Calleigh. "Speed and Eric will be here soon. We can leave then," he said, no real emotion in his voice.
Calleigh didn't say a word. She simply climbed into the H2 and shut the door. She didn't feel like talking to Horatio now.
After watching her get into the vehicle, Horatio turned away and let out a rarely seen sigh. He looked around the front yard of the victim's home and began to wonder why anyone would want to kill this particular woman. Was it a random act or was it done for a reason—as twisted a reason a murderer could come up with—? Did the perp do it to get at Calleigh? Horatio frowned at that train of thought. He glanced back at her as she continued to sit in the H2 and then suddenly felt a pang of fear within his chest. What if this killer was after Calleigh?
TO BE CONTINUED...
(A/N: I'm sorry it's so short and that it took me forever to get up! The next installment will be here a lot sooner! I promise! REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!)
"You ok?" he immediately asked, his concerned nearly masked by the normal calmness of his voice.
"Yup, fine," she answered quickly, unbuckling her seat belt. "I was just zonin'," she said, hoping she sounded somewhat convincing.
Horatio didn't exactly believe her, especially considering Calleigh wasn't the zoning type, but he decided not to push it. He simply nodded and then stepped back, giving the blonde ballistics expert room to get out of the Hummer.
They both grabbed their gear and headed under the police tape. They walked up the path to the front door and then walked inside where several cops were standing. That was when Yelina Salas walked up to them. "You weren't joking when you said you'd be here soon," she commented, having thought that Horatio and his entire shift would have been home and then had to have gone back to the crime lab to get their gear, which ultimately would have caused them to arrive much later.
"We were still at the lab catching up on work," Horatio stated, answering his sister-in-law's unasked questioned.
"I should have known," the woman said, a wry smile on her lips.
Wanting to get to business, Horatio treated Yelina with a small, reserved smile before asking, "So where is the body?"
"Right this way," she replied, gesturing for the two CSIs to follow her toward the back of the house. She led them down a large hall and turned the corner into a room that was undoubtedly the kitchen.
Both CSIs stopped and just stared at the scene in front of them. The walls of the kitchen were completely riddled with bullet holes, but even stranger than that was that judging by the holes and the bullet casings on the floor, more than four different weapons, all of different caliber, had been used to cause all the damage. Stepping around the island in the middle of the kitchen, they finally saw the body of the woman lying in a huge pool of blood. She too was riddled with bullets just like the walls of her kitchen.
After overcoming his initial surprise, Horatio turned to Yelina and asked, "Do we have an ID on this woman yet?"
Before the detective could answer, Calleigh's slightly quivering voice cut her off. "Riley McBane," she said, her eyes not straying from the body to see Horatio's perplexed look.
"Excuse me?" Horatio questioned.
"Her-her name is Riley McBane," Calleigh clarified before finally dragging her eyes away from the bullet riddled corpse and looked up at her boss.
Horatio noticed that the blonde had tears in her eyes. He frowned, both confused and concerned. "Do you know this woman?" he asked softly.
Swallowing hard, Calleigh nodded slowly as a single tear escaped down her cheek.
After casting a quick glance Yelina's way letting her know he'd be back in a few minutes, Horatio took silently took Calleigh by the arm and led her out of the house. He walked her all the way to the Hummer before turning her so that she was facing him. Then, in a very careful tone, he asked, "How do you know Riley?"
Calleigh looked as if she were about ready to break down into sobs. Tears were swimming in her eyes, her bottom lip was quivering, and her breathing was irregular as she tried to keep herself together. After managing to swallow down the lump in her throat, she finally found her voice and was able to reply. "Riley and I grew up together," she began to explain, her voice shaky. "She recently moved here from Louisiana with her work. She-uh-she works as a business consultant."
Horatio listened to her, his face soft. "So," he began slowly, "you and Riley were friends?"
Calleigh nodded in confirmation as a few more tears made their way down her cheeks. "Best friends," she said, choked up. She then looked down at the ground in an attempt to hide her tears from the man in front of her. "We're goin' –we were goin' to have lunch tomorrow afternoon," she added with a sniff.
Horatio let out a slow sigh and took a step closer to Calleigh, wrapping his arms around her. He held her close for a few moments, comforting her as she continued to fight the urge to break down into sobs. Finally letting her go, he looked down at her, saying, "I'm going to call Eric and Speed and get them down here. And then I'm going to take you home."
Calleigh's head shot up. "I'm not goin', Horatio. I'm gonna stay here and process this crime scene with you," she protested.
"No, you're not," Horatio replied, his voice calm and commanding. "You're too involved."
"That's exactly why I need to be a part of this!"
"And that's exactly why I won't allow it." Horatio's features were solid. There was no way he was going to let Calleigh get more involved in this than she already was.
"Horatio, please," the blonde pleaded desperately, more tears welling up in her eyes. She understood where Horatio was coming from when he said he didn't want her working on the case, but she didn't care this time. She didn't care that she was "too involved." Her childhood friend had been killed and she wanted to know why! So screw ethics! She wanted to work this scene!
"I'm sorry, Calleigh," was all he said before he took his cell phone out, flipped it open, dialed a number, and then turned away from the ballistics expert.
Utterly frustrated, Calleigh raked her hand through her hair and leaned up against the H2 as she listened to Horatio talk to who she now identified to be Speed. She couldn't believe he was doing this to her. She understood it, but couldn't believe it.
Moments later, Horatio got off his phone and looked over at Calleigh. "Speed and Eric will be here soon. We can leave then," he said, no real emotion in his voice.
Calleigh didn't say a word. She simply climbed into the H2 and shut the door. She didn't feel like talking to Horatio now.
After watching her get into the vehicle, Horatio turned away and let out a rarely seen sigh. He looked around the front yard of the victim's home and began to wonder why anyone would want to kill this particular woman. Was it a random act or was it done for a reason—as twisted a reason a murderer could come up with—? Did the perp do it to get at Calleigh? Horatio frowned at that train of thought. He glanced back at her as she continued to sit in the H2 and then suddenly felt a pang of fear within his chest. What if this killer was after Calleigh?
TO BE CONTINUED...
(A/N: I'm sorry it's so short and that it took me forever to get up! The next installment will be here a lot sooner! I promise! REMEMBER TO REVIEW!!)