Chapter 19
This was it. Everything matched. The cigaret butt, the shoe print, the soil found on the shoes matched the soil in the bushes. "So, we have enough for an arrest right?" Grissom, Nick, and Warrick were all standing in front of Brass's desk, waiting impatiently for his answer. "Well, technically, yes, but..." Nick cut him off, "Technically, ok, technically, then go technically arrest her sorry butt. Why are we still here? We gotta arrest her and ask her more questions!" Grissom shot a stern look Nick's way and the other didn't say anymore. "But?" Brass looked uncomfortable, "Well, I did a background check for Mrs. Fields and Mr. Fields." Warrick was just as impatient as Nick, "Yes, yes?!?" Brass fixated his eyes on the three men, looking intently at each of them for a few seconds, "Well, the woman has nothing. No rap sheet, no arrests, nothing, zip. A saint." The two young CSI's let a disgusted sigh escape their lips. "Hey, you two, you wanna go wait outside? Ok, then. Brass?" Grissom was just as impatient, knowing that Sara could be in trouble, but he didn't show it. "But, the husband...he doesn't exist." Grissom looked as stunned as the two younger CSI's, "Yes. He passed away close to 7 years ago." Grissom was the first to speak out of the astonished trio, "But, she specifically mentioned her husband. That means she's..." Warrick finished his sentence, "Mentally insane." Brass sadly bobbed his head up and down. "So, we have to be twice as careful, we don't know what she is capable of." Grissom mulled over Brass's words for a few seconds and then started heading out, "We'll be waiting for the warrant in the break room." And the three men disappeared. Brass looked helpless, it would be a couple of hours before he could get a judge's consent to arrest this woman. With the lack of motive, 'Might as well try, or Grissom's gonna kill me.'
In the break room, the CSI's sat down around the table. "Hey, anyone hear of Catherine?" Warrick totally forgot about her and was now enquiring. Grissom instantly became worried, "Yea, I called her yesterday, she said she was extremely busy, and hung up." Nick didn't respond, he looked nervously down at his hands, Warrick and Grissom looked at him at the same time and spoke as one, "Nick???" Warrick and Grissom briefly glanced at each other at the freakiness of the situation and Grissom took over. "Nick, where the hell did Catherine go???" Nick looked up to meet the two prying gazes of his friends. "She asked me to tell you that she was very sorry but she had to do this. Man..she was soooooo pissed at...." "Do WHAT? Nick? What is she going to do?" Grissom barked his question, "I don't know man! That's all she said." Warrick finally spoke, "Shit. She probably is over at the suspect's house...trying to find Lindsey and Sara." Grissom immediately whipped out his cell phone and punched in Catherine's number. It rang for what seemed like five minutes, bu finally a very groggy Catherine answered. "Yes?" Grissom was thrilled, at least she answered, "Catherine? Cath? It's Grissom, hey, where are you?" Hearing who it was Catherine switched her mode to a very pissed off lady, "Well, I can tell you where I'm not. I'm NOT on the case, bothering you, compromising it, if THAT'S what you wanted to hear. Because, remember, I'm not ON the case. But, also remember this, I AM doing something about it." Warrick and Nick could hear the conversation as clearly as if it was them on the phone instead of Grissom. "Damn it Catherine, this is no time to play foolish games. You know you are NOT supposed to interfere. Whatever it is you are doing or going to do, you better not." Warrick looked on with disgust, why was Grissom being so mean? This was Catherine his best friend! And here he was yelling at her. "Gris, slow down man," Grissom took no notice. "Catherine. The shift is not over, wherever you are, I want you here in an hour. There will be another case for you."
"Excuse me? Be there in an hour? PLEASE, I'm not Sara,"
"You're right, you're not. You've been here longer and you know better the consequences of disregarding orders."
"You know what Grissom? I'm sick of this. And you STILL do NOT get this. Call you back when I have my baby back." And then there was a dial tone. Grissom lowered the phone from his ear and looked about him, astonished. Nick and Warrick couldn't believe what they had just heard. Grissom and Catherine never argued, never. And here they were, having a terrible feud, at a terrible time. Nick spoke up, "Whoa, Griss..." he didn't need to finish his sentence. Everyone fell into an uneasy silence which lasted for a couple of hours while Brass tiresomely tried to acquire the consent of the arrest.
Catherine sat in the car huffing and puffing after Grissom's disturbing phone call. She decided to sit for about 15 minutes and cool down. Finally, after her blood boiled no more, she took out her binoculars and found the shadowy figure moving from one place to another. She finally had her chance when the figure stopped, back to the window, upstairs. That's when Catherine slid out of the car and once again crept up to the kitchen window. And the woman upstairs smirked to herself, she knew what the redhead did. Why else would she be standing with her back to the window for almost five minutes? Mrs. Fields finally moved away from the window and headed towards the kitchen. Purposefully avoiding the window. 'Let's reel in this fish, why don't we? She'll be another present for my husband. And a good one at that.' So, as an evil plan hatched in her mind, she began preparing yet another tray of food. Always keeping her back to the window, always. Catherine on the other hand, cautiously peeked over the window pane and stared in astonishment as the woman prepared food. 'Still no sign of her husband, that's good.' In about ten minutes, Mrs. Fields finished her preparation, putting more than usual since a new prisoner was about to be added. She carefully balanced the tray, a new bottled of water, and one glass. She made her way to the back door and with difficulty opened it. Catherine silently followed the windows outside to keep the suspect in view. When the windows ended and the corner of the house was in front of her, Catherine paused until she heard the slam of the back door being shut. She peeked over the edge and saw Mrs. Field walk out to the middle of her yard and suddenly stop, putting all of her possessions down. This puzzled Catherine greatly until she saw the woman's next movements. Mrs. Fields peeled back an artificial square of grass and then tugged on what looked like a cement door leading down to a cellar. She pushed it open, descended down a bit, gathered her belongings and disappeared below ground. 'Ah, so that's how that little bitch is hiding them. We should've known. But, that grass looks so real, no one can ever tell: not even the best lab in Las Vegas.' She hid behind the corner of the house until a few minutes later, she heard the resounding bang of the door. That's when she risked it all. She ran out to the spot where she thought the artificial grass was located and started pulling. It wouldn't budge. She had grabbed real grass by accident. She frantically searched the field until she found some footsteps, she eagerly followed them and came to the spot where the door lay concealed beneath. She pulled at the square of grass and finally at the concrete door. With a little difficulty she got it open and almost tumbled down the stairs in her frenzy. There, at the bottom in a little 5 by 5 meter square, was a door on one wall. It didn't have a lock or anything, it looked like an ordinary door made out of concrete and right beside it was a light switch that was turned off. She cautiously opened the door and seeing nothing but pitch black she flicked the switch to on. She stepped in and let out a shrill scream. "Lindsey!!" She obliviously rushed past the bed to where a crumpled child lay against the wall.
This was it. Everything matched. The cigaret butt, the shoe print, the soil found on the shoes matched the soil in the bushes. "So, we have enough for an arrest right?" Grissom, Nick, and Warrick were all standing in front of Brass's desk, waiting impatiently for his answer. "Well, technically, yes, but..." Nick cut him off, "Technically, ok, technically, then go technically arrest her sorry butt. Why are we still here? We gotta arrest her and ask her more questions!" Grissom shot a stern look Nick's way and the other didn't say anymore. "But?" Brass looked uncomfortable, "Well, I did a background check for Mrs. Fields and Mr. Fields." Warrick was just as impatient as Nick, "Yes, yes?!?" Brass fixated his eyes on the three men, looking intently at each of them for a few seconds, "Well, the woman has nothing. No rap sheet, no arrests, nothing, zip. A saint." The two young CSI's let a disgusted sigh escape their lips. "Hey, you two, you wanna go wait outside? Ok, then. Brass?" Grissom was just as impatient, knowing that Sara could be in trouble, but he didn't show it. "But, the husband...he doesn't exist." Grissom looked as stunned as the two younger CSI's, "Yes. He passed away close to 7 years ago." Grissom was the first to speak out of the astonished trio, "But, she specifically mentioned her husband. That means she's..." Warrick finished his sentence, "Mentally insane." Brass sadly bobbed his head up and down. "So, we have to be twice as careful, we don't know what she is capable of." Grissom mulled over Brass's words for a few seconds and then started heading out, "We'll be waiting for the warrant in the break room." And the three men disappeared. Brass looked helpless, it would be a couple of hours before he could get a judge's consent to arrest this woman. With the lack of motive, 'Might as well try, or Grissom's gonna kill me.'
In the break room, the CSI's sat down around the table. "Hey, anyone hear of Catherine?" Warrick totally forgot about her and was now enquiring. Grissom instantly became worried, "Yea, I called her yesterday, she said she was extremely busy, and hung up." Nick didn't respond, he looked nervously down at his hands, Warrick and Grissom looked at him at the same time and spoke as one, "Nick???" Warrick and Grissom briefly glanced at each other at the freakiness of the situation and Grissom took over. "Nick, where the hell did Catherine go???" Nick looked up to meet the two prying gazes of his friends. "She asked me to tell you that she was very sorry but she had to do this. Man..she was soooooo pissed at...." "Do WHAT? Nick? What is she going to do?" Grissom barked his question, "I don't know man! That's all she said." Warrick finally spoke, "Shit. She probably is over at the suspect's house...trying to find Lindsey and Sara." Grissom immediately whipped out his cell phone and punched in Catherine's number. It rang for what seemed like five minutes, bu finally a very groggy Catherine answered. "Yes?" Grissom was thrilled, at least she answered, "Catherine? Cath? It's Grissom, hey, where are you?" Hearing who it was Catherine switched her mode to a very pissed off lady, "Well, I can tell you where I'm not. I'm NOT on the case, bothering you, compromising it, if THAT'S what you wanted to hear. Because, remember, I'm not ON the case. But, also remember this, I AM doing something about it." Warrick and Nick could hear the conversation as clearly as if it was them on the phone instead of Grissom. "Damn it Catherine, this is no time to play foolish games. You know you are NOT supposed to interfere. Whatever it is you are doing or going to do, you better not." Warrick looked on with disgust, why was Grissom being so mean? This was Catherine his best friend! And here he was yelling at her. "Gris, slow down man," Grissom took no notice. "Catherine. The shift is not over, wherever you are, I want you here in an hour. There will be another case for you."
"Excuse me? Be there in an hour? PLEASE, I'm not Sara,"
"You're right, you're not. You've been here longer and you know better the consequences of disregarding orders."
"You know what Grissom? I'm sick of this. And you STILL do NOT get this. Call you back when I have my baby back." And then there was a dial tone. Grissom lowered the phone from his ear and looked about him, astonished. Nick and Warrick couldn't believe what they had just heard. Grissom and Catherine never argued, never. And here they were, having a terrible feud, at a terrible time. Nick spoke up, "Whoa, Griss..." he didn't need to finish his sentence. Everyone fell into an uneasy silence which lasted for a couple of hours while Brass tiresomely tried to acquire the consent of the arrest.
Catherine sat in the car huffing and puffing after Grissom's disturbing phone call. She decided to sit for about 15 minutes and cool down. Finally, after her blood boiled no more, she took out her binoculars and found the shadowy figure moving from one place to another. She finally had her chance when the figure stopped, back to the window, upstairs. That's when Catherine slid out of the car and once again crept up to the kitchen window. And the woman upstairs smirked to herself, she knew what the redhead did. Why else would she be standing with her back to the window for almost five minutes? Mrs. Fields finally moved away from the window and headed towards the kitchen. Purposefully avoiding the window. 'Let's reel in this fish, why don't we? She'll be another present for my husband. And a good one at that.' So, as an evil plan hatched in her mind, she began preparing yet another tray of food. Always keeping her back to the window, always. Catherine on the other hand, cautiously peeked over the window pane and stared in astonishment as the woman prepared food. 'Still no sign of her husband, that's good.' In about ten minutes, Mrs. Fields finished her preparation, putting more than usual since a new prisoner was about to be added. She carefully balanced the tray, a new bottled of water, and one glass. She made her way to the back door and with difficulty opened it. Catherine silently followed the windows outside to keep the suspect in view. When the windows ended and the corner of the house was in front of her, Catherine paused until she heard the slam of the back door being shut. She peeked over the edge and saw Mrs. Field walk out to the middle of her yard and suddenly stop, putting all of her possessions down. This puzzled Catherine greatly until she saw the woman's next movements. Mrs. Fields peeled back an artificial square of grass and then tugged on what looked like a cement door leading down to a cellar. She pushed it open, descended down a bit, gathered her belongings and disappeared below ground. 'Ah, so that's how that little bitch is hiding them. We should've known. But, that grass looks so real, no one can ever tell: not even the best lab in Las Vegas.' She hid behind the corner of the house until a few minutes later, she heard the resounding bang of the door. That's when she risked it all. She ran out to the spot where she thought the artificial grass was located and started pulling. It wouldn't budge. She had grabbed real grass by accident. She frantically searched the field until she found some footsteps, she eagerly followed them and came to the spot where the door lay concealed beneath. She pulled at the square of grass and finally at the concrete door. With a little difficulty she got it open and almost tumbled down the stairs in her frenzy. There, at the bottom in a little 5 by 5 meter square, was a door on one wall. It didn't have a lock or anything, it looked like an ordinary door made out of concrete and right beside it was a light switch that was turned off. She cautiously opened the door and seeing nothing but pitch black she flicked the switch to on. She stepped in and let out a shrill scream. "Lindsey!!" She obliviously rushed past the bed to where a crumpled child lay against the wall.