Implied Connections
Chapter 13 – Kitties With Claws
By: Braidless Baka
Disclaimer: Don't own zippo, 'cept Shaun and Rachel. Shaun's cool… O_o;;
A/N: Yes, I'm going to mentioning them in every chapter until you guys get sick of it! RainbowsnStars and Krazykid197. It's amazing how many pure typos I send to these people ~_~;;
A/N2: A spoiler (kind of – more like a fleeting reference) for Season 1, Episode 13 "Boom". You've been warned.
~~~
Meanwhile, in his lab, Greg was busy playing Hitler. But he soon found that Shaun, his temp, was a likeable guy. Greg soon discovered that he was fully capable in the lab. The only direction he really needed was in how to set the CD player on repeat. And it was an old CD player, so that was forgivable.
"You gonna be okay if I go find out what Nick's up to?"
Shaun laughed, not looking up as Greg stood. "I'm sure I'll be fine without your masterful touch."
Greg responded by rolling his eyes. "Sarcasm doesn't suit you." He made for the door before turning. "Let me know the second you find anything."
"Aren't you supposed to be at home, anyway?"
Greg shrugged, watching as Shaun turned in his swivel chair to regard him with a raised eyebrow as he stood in the doorway. "I just can't get enough of this place," he said, grinning confidently. "Besides, if I left them alone for half a second they'd go to pot."
"Literally?"
"Literally. Trust me, dayshift is like a petting zoo compared to these guys!" Greg confirmed, at that point leaving his evidence in Shaun's capable hands, on the hunt for Nick and Sara's sneakers.
~~~
"You wanna put paint on my sneakers?"
Nick nodded with a grin. "You've got it."
Sara looked at him with a raised eyebrow for a moment, before shaking her head. "You realise it'll never come out, don't you?"
"Well, it's not like you wear them much anyway."
"That much is true," she admitted, smiling ruefully, before kicking off the shoes she was wearing and sitting in order to lace up the sneakers. Nick watched her do it, noting that even by the way she laced them up, they weren't casual-wear.
At which point, Warrick turned up. "Hey Warrick," acknowledged Nick. Sara also gave him a nod, and a "hi".
Warrick nodded in return, before sauntering in and leaning against one of the benches. "Wanna know what I turned up?"
"Shock me," murmured Sara, still bent tying her shoe.
"I don't think I'm going to. Papers say you left on time. Computer says you didn't. We've definitely got tampering back there."
"Like I said," Sara said, looking up. "Shock me, will you?"
Nick shook his head, before beckoning Sara over to several large sheets of white paper spread out on the floor. He also indicated to a tray of paint. "Feet in, one at a time. Then walk across the sheet."
Sara paused for a second, before nodding in approval. "I see where you're going with this."
"Yup," said Nick, nodding. "So, step in the paint and go to it."
Obediently, Sara pressed both her feet into the paint, and then carefully stepped out of the paint tray and onto the sheets of paper.
"Now," said Nick, "walk across it, normal pace, as though you wanted something on that counter."
Nodding, Sara walked across the paper, coming to a stop at the opposite end. As soon as she did, Nick looked up for the photographs from the crime scene, nodding to Warrick as he passed them across. Then he held them, looking carefully at the footprints Sara had made and then to the photos in his hand.
By this point, Sara had discarded the sneakers, and was behind him, doing the same thing. "And?"
"Well… the placement of the prints are consistent. You're about the same height as the killer."
"And that's not good," interjected Warrick with a frown.
"No," mused Nick, still scrutinising. "No it's not. But look here."
"What?"
Nick looked up, to see Sara leaning slightly closer. "Well… the light and heavy patches of your feet are different. It proves that the two people wearing the sneakers were different people. Your weight's distributed differently." He pointed out several parts of the prints in the photographs, then indicating points on the paper.
"So, we're looking for someone my height, wearing my shoes, but someone who walks differently from me?" Sara was still scrutinising the photos carefully.
"That's about the size of it," said Nick with a nod. "It's the first piece of good news we've had since we started this thing."
"I know," said Sara, now slipping her regular shoes back on, "I mean, I-"
"Sara."
All three looked up as Catherine strode into the room, her shoes clacking several steps ahead of Rachel as she tried to catch up.
"Catherine? What?"
All three of them did a double take as Catherine slammed the gun down on the desk, her gaze desperate as she looked up at Sara. "Please tell me you can explain this."
Sara was suddenly pale as she looked to Catherine, her eyes wide. "Please tell me you didn't get that from - "
"Your house, Sara." Rachel's voice was quiet, yet steely. "In amongst your shoes."
"That's bull!" Sara's voice went up several notches as she suddenly shouted at Rachel, causing the blonde to take a step backwards, and Nick to take a step forward, grabbing the brunette's shoulder in a restraining motion. "I don't own a gun like that, and I never have!"
"Then where'd you steal it from?!" Rachel's voice was equally raised, pushing a hair hastily out of her face as she shouted down the brunette. "Because it sure as Hell didn't find its own way to your house!"
"What're you implying?!"
"Hey, hey!" Warrick's voice was the next one to be heard, stepping between the two women, but facing Rachel with a frown. "Come on, don't start yelling over this!" He turned to Sara and then back to Rachel, his voice authoritative. "We don't need this right now."
Sure enough, several heads had poked out of labs around them; curious passer-bys had stopped to listen to the exchange, hugging to the walls as though afraid they were going to get mowed down. It was at this inopportune moment that Greg got there, hanging by the door and deciding to say nothing.
"Sara." Catherine had moved forward at that point, pushing Rachel aside in an effort to calm Sara down. Greg saw this motion, and took the opportunity to step in, taking Rachel by the elbow and steering her promptly and sternly out of the room and down the corridor, watching Nick nod his appreciation from behind Sara.
Now, Nick realised, with Rachel out of the way, things would be a little calmer. With that thought in mind, he released his hold on Sara's shoulder.
There was a pause, and then Catherine spoke. "Can you explain it?"
"No, you know I can't."
"Then…" Catherine sighed, not wanting to say it. "There's too much evidence Sara. You know that."
Sara nodded. "I know."
"We can't do anything but…"
"Arrest me. I know." She was calm. Her voice was almost normal, maybe even more than normal. It was serene. Nick didn't like it one little bit. But, without so much as a nod from Catherine, he reached for the phone. When Nick got hold of Grissom, he sounded dismayed, but not surprised, at their findings. Nick even wondered if Grissom was worried by the discovery, or if he had total faith in the evidence. This was the end of Sara's career, and everyone in the room knew it. It was playing out exactly the way it had when Nick was the main suspect in Kristy's death. Luckily, that time Nick had been cleared. Sara, it seemed, wasn't going to be so lucky.
"There'll be someone waiting at reception to make the arrest," Nick said, hanging the phone up gently from speaking to the supervisor.
Sara nodded, looking to Catherine, then to Warrick and Nick. "Just do me one favour guys?"
"Anything," said Warrick, watching Sara with a kind of reverence.
"Nail the bastard for me. Make sure he doesn't walk for this."
"We plan to," said Catherine, the frown on her face saying everything. "Without a doubt." She paused then, to sigh, before making for the door. "Come on then. Let's get this over with."
With that last sentiment, Nick and Warrick watched the girls leave. "I guess that means a double?"
Warrick nodded at Nick's comment, "Absolutely." He stopped then, swallowing. "But first, I need to go take a break."
"What's up?" Nick glanced across. "You've been out of it all evening man. You feeling okay?"
Warrick nodded. "It's just a headache."
"Go get it checked out. You taken painkillers?"
"Yeah." Wincing, Warrick rubbed at his temples. "As much as I can."
"Maybe you should just take a nap or something. There's been a lot going on here."
Warrick nodded, suddenly feeling nauseous. "That might be a good idea." He made to stand straight, away from the support of the table, but swayed a little.
"Whoa," Nick murmured, reaching out to support the taller. "Seriously… what's wrong with you, man?"
"Nothing," Warrick lied quickly. "Seriously, I'm fine."
Nick shook his head sharply at this. "No way man, we're going to get you checked out."
"You can't be serious!"
"I'm so totally serious, you wouldn't believe," responded Nick sternly. "Come on."