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Chapter 4: Break-in

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Horatio was brought out of sleep by the ring of his cell phone. Eyes instantly open, he sat up quickly, pushing his comforter back and reached for the ringing device. It was rare to catch him grunt, always moving quite effortlessly, but this was an exception. Calleigh had been in the hospital and he couldn't take his mind off of her. He had only just drifted off, sleep winning over his tired body, when an outside element disturbed him. He held his head, perhaps he'd sat up too quickly, glancing at the alarm clock on his bedside table, while reaching towards it for his cell.

Wiping the sleep from his eyes, he checked the caller ID on the glowing screen. It was dispatch. Code 31. Homicide.

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Stepping out of the Hummer, sunglasses over his eyes, Horatio strode briskly, slipping under the yellow crime scene tape, surrounding a house in this wealthy neighborhood. The valiant man with red hair unintentionally drew the crowd that had formed at the perimeter. Over the sight of his pristine suit, whispers were heard about the business identification in black letters on the side of his large vehicle. More curiosity arose.

"Frank," Horatio called, seeing him, temporarily halting Tripp from scribbling on his opened notepad.

The burly detective nodded, glancing in the CSI supervisor's direction as he continued to question the woman before him.

Horatio paused alongside him and studied the seemingly distraught woman. She was beautiful: tall with dark brown hair, but her eyes were red and puffy. Her voice was shaky and slow compared to her quick movements as she spoke.

"Can I go see my daughter now?" she asked, mouth trembling shut at the end of the question.

Frank glanced at Horatio then answered, "Sure," stepping aside to let her pass them.

Horatio watched the woman slowly amble on the cement walkway going from the front porch to the driveway. "Victim's wife?" he inquired a confirmation.

"Yeah. Mrs. Morris found her husband this morning around seven and called the cops."

"Why did she come home so late?" Horatio narrowed his eyes.

"She works nights."

Horatio looked away, "And the daughter?"

"There are two, actually. A fifteen year old who was sleeping over at a friend's house- she's still there- and the youngest, Sandy, seven year old over there," Tripp tipped his head in her direction, "was apparently home with her dad- might have been woken up by the commotion..."

"So," Horatio assessed lowly, "we may have a witness."

"Yeah, except, she hasn't said much to anyone since we got here."

Horatio looked at the little girl, the wind taken out of his sails. She was no bigger than Horatio's niece, Madison.

Frank glanced at the imposing white house, "Alexx is already inside... so is Calleigh."

"What?" Horatio asked, suddenly switching priorities in his mind, taking his shades off, "I thought she needed to

rest - "

Frank shrugged.

Holding back from showing his disarray, Horatio decided to take it up with her and left Frank to go inside.

Entering the broken in home, he immediately found the detective and coroner hard at work.

A quick glance around and Horatio knew the murderer had most probably stolen from this rich man's house. Some things seemed to be missing, most of them broken. Glass table shattered, The man, he deduced as the homeowner, was tied to a kitchen chair and had been brutally murdered.

Horatio snapped on a pair of latex gloves and stepped closer.

"Horatio -" Alexx said, knowing his gait, keeping her eyes on the victim.

"Good morning," Horatio's gaze strayed from Alexx to Calleigh.

"Not for him," Alexx stated blankly, moving behind the victim, marking where she would cut through the rope.

Horatio checked his gun and fingered his badge nervously. Calleigh was completely focused on gathering evidence, moving around the victim, searching for anything to tag. Decidedly, Horatio thought, she was ignoring him. Regrettably, he missed the longing look aimed at him before she looked away, chased by his intense gaze coming back to rest on her.

Shaking his head and directing all his concentration onto the case at hand, even though it was obvious, he asked, "COD, Alexx?"

"Puncture of the aorta, victim bled out."

"At approximately what time, Alexx?" He waited patiently as Alexx made a small incision, all the while glancing at Calleigh.

"Liver temp. indicates..." the M.E. read the thermometer, "around three am." She straightened.

"Okay." Horatio nodded. "Alexx - " he said her name deliberately soft, drawing her attention.

It worked and she held his eyes.

"Any word on Eric?" Horatio asked lowly.

Answering with her eyes, she looked at the busy blonde processing the scene, "She told me she was filling in for him." Not refraining from showing Horatio her initial surprised reaction, she continued, "But, honey, I know Eric was on his way- she purposely took his shift..." Calleigh stepped closer, within earshot and Alexx suddenly fell silent.

"Okay. Thank you, Alexx."

The medical examiner smiled faintly, then turned, ordering the body haulers to do their job.

"Calleigh," Horatio came near her, tilting his head, showing her nothing but concern, "What are you doing here?"

"I'll take care of tool marks and let you know what I find-"she said, expressionless.

He knew she was hearing, but not listening.

Horatio edged closer, the noise made by the body haulers annoying him just as much as an impassive Calleigh. But, he never did raise his voice to any woman.

He watched her at close distance and not a muscle in her body flinched in response.

Resigned in front of her unreadable attitude, he didn't push the subject and simply addressed her, "I'd like to speak to you later on, when you have minute - "

She looked at him, their faces merely inches away from each other, and smiled falsely.

With the request he added a location, "Come see me in my office."

His professionalism smoothing his inner confusion and befuddled emotions, he added, "In the meantime, got anything for me?"

Surprisingly, her face somewhat changed and, running in methodological mode, she replied, "Bagged a few hairs, will send them to trace along with the rope; there might be skin cells..." She continued, but all Horatio could think about as he watched her was that he'd risk everything; his job, his life, his heart to not simply be in this platonic relationship with her.

"Good. Keep me posted," he replied, removing the image of her lips onto his from his mind. He couldn't afford to leisurely stay back with her and watch, so he gave her what she wanted; space to work.

Horatio made his way back outside, fumbling with his shades, not quite ready to put them back on yet. The group of nosy people from earlier had dissipated; the slow and tedious investigative process boring them. Most of the patrol cars had left except for one remaining: for the officer standing near Horatio, guarding the door. Horatio observed Sandy and her mother and ambled towards the two of them.

Sandy's mother rose, "Please tell me you're not here to ask me what happened - I've already told them everything I knew. Twice."

"Mrs. Morris - "

"Please, call me Jennifer - " the woman obviously didn't want to be reminded of her deceased husband.

Horatio nodded and continued, "The evidence will tell me and my team what happened, but if your daughter was present, she might make it easier to find the person who did this."

Jennifer looked down at her daughter, tears blurring her eyes. Breathing deeply, she looked at the lieutenant's trustworthy, sensitive and compassionate gaze. With an unsteady hand, she caressed her daughter's head of hair, placed a kiss on the top of her head and moved away hugging her upper body.

Nodding, silently thanking Jen, Horatio took a seat next to the little girl.

TBC…