Title: Two Drinks and A Murder
Author: Nameless Quill
Disclaimer: Not mine. But if the folks at CBS want to give them to me, I'm all for it.
Warning: This story does deal with homosexuality, rape, violence, and other content that can be considered disturbing. You have been warned and too bad, so sad if you proceed and get offended.
Author's Note: See, I told you I would update soon :)
Chapter Six:
They had decided quietly to take separate cars to work, as to keep what was blossoming between them a secret from the guys. Catherine reached the lab first but instead of heading straight into the break room to grab first dibs on Greg's surprisingly heavenly coffee, she leant against the warmth of her car's hood for Sara to pull in. It took another ten minutes for Sara's Honda to show and Catherine felt an involuntary smile tug the corners of her lips.
"Hey," Sara said, reaching behind her into the car to pull out a box of doughnuts. Catherine watched this with confusion until she remembered: Sara's night for the snack foods.
"Hey yourself, need a hand?"
"Nah, I can manage." Sara waved off Catherine' offer gently and gestured for the blond to grab the door. "How was the drive?"
"Lonely." Catherine grinned, forcing Sara to walk by her with their bodies coming into full contact. The tall brunette's eyes darkened from a warm hazel to a smoldering chocolate but not a word considered inappropriate for the workplace slipped past Sara's lips.
"Lonely? Cath, we were having dinner not even a half-hour ago."
"That's not my point." Catherine murmured, her voice going low and husky and connecting with Sara whose own voice dropped an octave in response.
"Oh, well, I uses you'll have to clarify that point with me later."
"I plan to. After shift." What Catherine didn't let Sara hear was the small part of her mind begging the brunette to say yes even though they had already spent one night together.
"We'll see." Sara remarked coyly and sauntered off to drop off the doughnuts. Catherine stared after her, shocked and amused at the new side of Sara. Her eyes fell to watch Sara's hips swing out of view and a softer, warmer smile crept up upon her.
"You keep unfolding like a flower Sara." She turned and went her own way, her mind struggling to beat back the lower primal instincts crying out for Sara. Her higher mind clicked into place and soon all thoughts of a desirable Sara were gently set-aside for a more free time.
Her first stop was Grissom's office, popping in to say hello to her dearest friend and assuring him that the night off did her good. She left, with a promise to meet him for breakfast sometime later that week and headed down to Conroy's office wanting to go back to the scene to recheck something.
"What do you want to go over?" Conroy asked after offering Catherine a seat and some coffee.
Catherine explained to her a thought that had popped up last night. "We know that the primary scene is the house, right?" Conroy nodded and Catherine pressed on, falling into a roll, "Well, Sara and I checked all the places that one could consider for a rape and came up empty handed. But we never checked the pool."
"The pool?" Conroy's eyebrow shot up as a smirk crawled onto her face. "And pray tell Catherine where that idea came from." She waited patiently as the blush rose and fell in Catherine's cheeks and for the strawberry's blonde's eyes to meet her before she repeated her question. "Where did it come from?"
Catherine struggled to prevent another blush but succeeded— barely. Her voice wavered as she told Conroy that it was just a thought that had suddenly come to mind as she was glancing at her own pool.
"You're lying but we'll get to that later."
Catherine didn't hide her scowl and folded her arms. "Can we talk like adults now?"
"Sure." Conroy waved her on to continue. "So you want to check out the pool?"
"Yup. I'm getting a hunch."
"All right, but you'll have to talk with Nick. He's been on it and is empty- handed ...I believe he's kicking a garbage can somewhere in your part of the building."
Catherine kicked herself inwardly and nodded. "Right, I completely forgot about him, thanks Erin."
"No problem. And I'll have a uniform waiting for you there." Conroy called as Catherine left the office.
She found Nick not kicking a trashcan but glaring at the glossy 5x8 photos of the victim and the scene. She walked into the lab, knocking once on the opened door to announce her presence and claimed a stool right by him. "How's it going Nicky?"
"You just missed Sara." Nick said without preamble, his normally Texas drawl dampened by fatigue and frustration. "She's off to talk with Brass about scrounging up any witnesses."
"I might have a lead that could help."
"Catherine, anything could help at this point." Nick said and Catherine frowned in sympathy for him. "What's up?"
"We never checked the pool."
Something clicked in Nick's mind for he groaned and slammed his hand on the desk. "And here I was last night listening to Greg and his expertise in all water activities! How'd you think of it?"
"Random thought." Catherine murmured absently as her mind flashed over the contrast of hot flesh and cool water.
"Good call. You going to check it out?" Nick asked and Catherine nodded.
"I figure we don't need all of us there to get one sample."
"Let's hope there is a sample." Nick prayed and Catherine patted his shoulder. "Go talk to the doc first and see if her body shows signs of being in the water."
"Will do." Catherine got up to leave and made it to the door before Nick called to her. She turned and waited. "Yeah?"
"Do you know what's up with Sara?"
"No. Why?"
"It's nothing wrong but I heard her humming under her breath. She never hums around me if she can help it. I asked her who the lucky fellow was and all she said was 'you're a CSI, you figure it out'."
Catherine grinned brightly and shrugged helplessly. "If she's confided in me Nicky I can't break that girl-talk confidence. See you." She left, her spirits high and even smiled gently to Hodges as she passed him in the halls. He was probably now very confused. Oh well.
In the morgue, she tempered her enthusiasm slightly and greeted Doctor Albert Robbins before getting down to business. If things worked out the way she wanted them to, they could turn this case from a stumper to a easy one-nighter...er three nighter now.
"Catherine, always a pleasure to see you. Need something?"
"Yea, look I know you and Nick already picked through her with a fine- toothed comb but I'm curious: Where there any signs of her being in the water prior to death? As in just prior?"
"Unconsenting skinny dipping?" The Doc nodded, accepting Catherine's theory. "It would explain the trace amounts of chlorine found in her vagina."
"She had trace amounts?" Catherine looked past Robbins and tried to see the crime. She shook her head and smiled gratefully at him. "It helps. Thank you."
"Anytime."
She left the morgue, feeling like a butterfly flitting from place to place and bumped into Sara in the halls just outside Brass's office.
"Conroy told us about your thoughts with the pool. She's curious on how you got on that train of thought." Sara said, her voice light and amused as her hands reached out to steady Catherine.
"I'm stumped as well. Anything with the Ives?" Sara shook her head and Catherine sighed. "Ah, well, at least we have a new lead to follow."
"You have a new lead to follow, I'm going to hang around here and keep an eye on the integration— if it occurs tonight— I want to see who was supposed to be home that night with the girl."
"Rape cases are always hard." Catherine soothed and her hands brushed over Sara's cheek before she stepped away to head out to the Tahoe. "Call me with an update."
"Sure thing and Catherine...?"
"Yea?"
Sara opened her mouth to speak but thought against it. Instead, she smiled and shrugged. "Take care."
"I always do."
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At the scene, Catherine looked for the uniform and found him waiting by the front door, a look of utter boredom on his face.
"Long night?" She asked, coming up. He stared at her and nodded respectfully.
"Ms. Willows."
"Catherine please, I'm not that old."
"Of course M— Catherine." The officer smiled and Catherine noticed how young he really looked. She made no comment but stepped by and into the house to head to the back yard. He followed and they neared the reasonably sized pool. It was bigger then hers but then again, so was the Ive's paycheck. "What are you looking for?" He asked as she knelt by the water's edge and opened her field kit.
"A sperm sample ...hopefully."
"A sperm sample ...but why?" Catherine reminded quiet and allowed his brain to do the math. He blushed and muttered 'Oh.' Catherine nodded to show that his assumption was right and then froze when a sound that shouldn't have been there crept to her ears.
The officer froze too and his eyes snapped to the house, it's darkened windows and dim lighting from the street lamp turning it into an omnious shadow hanging over them. His hand was resting just on his gun and he flicked his gaze to Catherine, his expression asking if she had hers.
She did. And she went for it, pulling it out of her hostler, the cold metal jarring her as the reality of the situation fell into place. She needed her gun, not for show, but because she might have to use it in defense. And no CSI wanted to be here, in this moment.
With a glance to the officer, Catherine rose slowly to her feet, her gun gripped in her right hand, and moved away from the pool's edge.
Another tinkling of glass echoed to them from the house and the officer turned to Catherine with a silent question.
"Go, check it out, I'll keep an eye out back here."
The officer, she had never caught his name, nodded and begun a steady pacing towards the backdoor, murmuring low into his shoulder CB radio for backup. He disappeared into the house and Catherine's eyes turned to watch the bushes behind her.
She met face to face with a gun.
"Nighty night Sweet One."
The gun slammed down into her temple and she remembered the feeling of hitting the cement before going under.
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Feedback makes Catherine live ...well, not really, but it let's you find out what the hell my mind's planning.