Chapter three

"Mr Heraldry, you are Margrett's ex-husband. You've been separated two years? And this is your son," Brass said flicking open a note book "Chris correct? "

He nodded putting his hand protectively on Chris' forearm, who simply sat there in stony silence staring at his hands on the table in front of him. After a short pause where it was clear this was the only response Brass was going to get he continued with the interview.

"You said you first suspected she had gone missing early last afternoon when she wasn't at home after your son got back from school"

"Yeah, Chris got home about five to find the house empty. He rang me because he'd forgotten his house keys. I still have a pair so I drove over to let him in. I knew something was wrong from the moment I got in the house, it wasn't Margrett's late night and when I rang up her work they said she hadn't turned up. She'd rang in sick earlier on in the morning but wasn't at home."

"At what time did they say she rang in?"

"I think, they said around ten? I can't remember but they definitely said she called in."

"You also have a daughter is that correct? Elizabeth Heraldry, 20 years old. Works as a sales assistant."

"Yeah but what does she have to do with anything? She away on holiday up in Provo, Utah, with her boyfriend" with a look of bewilderment on his face, he eyes dulled with sadness when he stuttered "I...I.. I haven't even got the chance to call her yet."

Sara watched the interview with mild interest. Stretching she reached up and pushing her palms to the ceiling rotating her neck in the process. Sighing she looked and the clock wondering if she could be bothered to change the clothes she'd been wearing since shift started seeing as now her and Nick's case seemed to be going into over time. They had found out the identity of the female they had picked up at the start of shift just a few hours ago, after the husband or should she say ex-husband rang in placing a description that matched. He'd come straight in, id the body so they now knew who she was. Dam she hated it when they got a development just before shift ending, not that there was much waiting for her at home..... but she could really do with a nice hot bath,

"You didn't feel like standing in?" Nick said softly from behind her, interrupting that train of thought.

Not missing a beat "It's only a routine interview of the family. Nothing interesting. No one seems to know what she was doing from 8:40 am after dropping her son off at School to winding up dead on the side of a road. Didn't go into work, she just seems to have been unaccounted for."

"I might be able to help you there. Seems like Mrs Carmichael, she went back to her maiden name after her divorce. Made four payments on her own credit card on the day that she died. At 9:45,"

"An hour after dropping her son off." Sara cut in.

Nick paused to give Sara a do-you-want-to-know-or-not look "She filled up with gas. An hour later there's was a withdrawal of $40 from a cash machine, but get this," he says smiling down at the print out list. "She paid for a lunch at a Tony's restaurant. This Lady's sneaky callin' in at work sick then having a whole day to meet up with a mysterious lunch date; looking at the bill the meal was for two. I'm guessing the Ex didn't know about that one. " Grinning he turned a few more pages, "She's been eating there regularly to. Once or twice a week since about three months ago"

"I know what your thinking Nick. Just because she eats lunch there sometimes doesn't mean she's seeing some one.." She stopped seeing Brass walk over to join them the husband and son following behind.

"Mr Heraldry this is Nick Stokes and Sara Sidle the two CSI working on the case with me".

Extending his hand to be shaken, "Mr Heraldry we've been going over Mrs Carmichael's credit card details and its seems that on the day of her disappearance, she had lunch at Tony's? Would you know anything about that?"

"I sorry. I don't know why she would be meeting some one there or who she would have been meeting. Maybe one of her friends, but I don't understand why she would want to see anyone if she was feeling ill. Also if it were either of her friends she would have invited the over. Are you trying to say she wasn't ill?" The poor man was confused and probably shell shocked by the news Nick decided it wasn't worth asking any more questions.

At that moment Nicks pager went off. He did a small-undignified scrabble juggling paper to get a free hand into his pocket, just as Sara's went off which was more easily clipped to the belt of her black jeans. Both read their messages simultaneously before looking at each other,

"Greg just pages me he's got some interesting resul.."

"Doc just pages me he's ready for us down.."

Nick and Sara stopped talking looking to Brass who just raised an eyebrow.

"Where gunna do all we can to find out what happened to your Nick stepped forward to shake hands again before turning to Sara "I'll meet you down there, ok."

Walking briskly towards Greg's lab he put one hand on the door to open it as a voice said behind him,

"Hay bro, Greggo's mine."