Big Slaughter

Part 2

By marcus_reloaded

For summary and other look to part 1.

Part 2 - Looking for clues.

NOTE:

After securing the crime scene with some tape they found in a kitchen cabinet, they went to the main hall, where the other contestants were spread on the sofa, shivering of fear.

"Well, guys, I think it's not needed to say that no-one should go into the confessional after the things we need -and have asked for - arrive." Sara begun, breaking the silence. "But we'd need you to tell us everything you know about Amanda, and the last time you saw her." She couldn't help but feel sad at the death of the caring young girl, so like her in some ways, and completely different from her in others.

"What? Do you think that one of us could have killed her?" Josh asked.

"One of us has killed her, you moron." Joan said in her most graceful and caring tone, which says a lot about her. "They already said it."

"Well, I'll begin." Lana said, a determined look on her face. "Last time I saw Ammie was when we were eating. She was lost in thought, and muttered a name, 'Mark'."

"Her husband." Piper interjected. "She mentioned him and their son again, after lunch. We were talking and she seemed... strange."

"As in?" Nick asked.

"Stoned." was the simple answer.

"Stoned?" Sara repeated. "That's strange. I woke up before her and we kept each other company until lunch, and never did she take anything. I would've noticed."

"Must be something else. However, we were chatting and she says 'Mark' as in 'Mark, help me!'! This scared me, and I excused myself to go to the bathroom. Then I heard Nate's scream and... you know." Piper finished her intrusion.

"Can somebody prove it?" was Sara's question.

"Joan. She was in the bathroom and saw me coming in."

"Is that true, Joan?" Sara asked the blonde.

"Yeah. Pippie came in quite freaked out." she answered, annoyance clearly readable in her tone.

"And you, Lana? Do you have anything more to say? Like where were you when you heard Nate's scream?" Nick asked.

"Well," the dark-haired girl answered, "I was going down the hall with Nate, and he noticed Amanda sitting in the confessional, but he said she didn't seem to feel well, given that she didn't move. He went to see if she was breathing, and had a great shock when her head fell lifeless to one side."

The other's responses were straight and to the point.

Alan: Saw Amanda last time at lunch, was in the kitchen reordering when she was killed.

Josh: Saw Amanda last time at lunch, he was in the boys' room when she died.

Sean: He too, saw her last time at lunch, he was sleeping on his bed when Nate screamed.

Sara: Was with Nick in the girls' room, saw Amanda last time at lunch.

Nick: With Sara in the girls' room, and he too saw Amanda last time at lunch.

"It's almost ironic. A murder takes place in the most-watched house of the country and nobody notices anything." Nick muttered.

"Well," Sara interjected, "probably they're already viewing the tapes of the confessional, so they're one step ahead of us."

Suddenly, the bell rang. The brown-haired female CSI went to open the door and saw...

"Grissom! Cath!" she said. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but... why are you two here? And where's Warrick?"

"Warrick's got the flu. And we're here because the..." Catherine had a disgusted expression on her face; she had never liked this show... "network called us. To investigate on that girl's murder."

"I hate to be repetitive, but... why?"

"They said something along the lines of 'We need the best. We need you.' or some other cheesy television quote. Anyway," Grissom said, shrugging, "where's our girl?"

"Confessional. Down the hall." Nick said in his Southern drawl. "How you've gotten here so fast?"

Grissom smirked. "You know when they say they have fast jets?"

"Yeah, why?" the Texan CSI said, a little lost.

"They do." he said before desappearing with Catherine in the red padded room.

Nick and Sara couldn't go inside. They weren't investigators, now.

They were suspects.

"Was that Gil Grissom?" asked Alan.

"Yes, why do you ask?" Sara answered.

"He's a legend in Law Enforcement. His crime lab is said to be the best of the entire USA."

"You a fan?" Nick asked, knowing how much his boss was liked.

"A colleague. Well, kind of. I'm a profiler."

"Oh." Nick said. "So, you think this is going to be an isolated case or should we expect more?" he then asked, curiously.

"More." Alan said resolutely. This man - because I doubt that the killer is a woman, being that Amanda was strangulated - is keen on winning, shown by the place where he killed. And will stop at nothing to accomplish his goal."

"Creepy." Lana said.

After a little while, Gil and Cath came out of the confessional, and into the house came the Coroner, which looked for a while at the body before it was carried away.

"I don't know what did she die of yet, but I can tell you one thing - she wasn't strangled." Marc Lewry, the LA Night Shift Coroner said to the two CSIs.

"What?" was the response.

"There aren't any signs on her neck." he answered them.

"So, everybody's a suspect again." Nick said as Gil and Cath left the house.

TBC