Chapter 21

Grissom had seen Sara's retreating form when he'd turned around to retrieve his wallet. Sara was laughing with a tall, dark handsome man who looked to be even younger than she was.

She's gorgeous and smart. Any man would be thrilled to have her, pregnant or not. Hell some people want kids.

That evening Sara and Grissom sat as far apart from one another as they could whilst still being able to hear Brass on the speaker phone. His gruff voice came through the phone. He sounded more frustrated than Sara could ever remember him sounding.

"For the past week I have talked to every badge holder on every continent."

"What's happening Brass?"

"There was another heist."

Grissom avoided looking at Sara. "When?"

"Jiles is working on that right now. It's hard to tell with this guy because his M.O. is the same as the Louvre job. Who knows how long the paintings have been there."

"Where was it?"

"The Mandela Museum in Johannesburg."

Grissom eyes went to the ceiling as Sara stroked her belly. He tried to ignore the sweetness of her voice. "That place is James Bond state of the art."

"Exactly Cookie, they got two Renoirs and one Picasso."

Grissom again. "The thief is escalating."

"And better. Interpol has a couple of master thieves on the payroll and they said that they wouldn't even attempt it, as far as they were concerned it was impossible."

Sara seemed to feel the baby move and smiled. "Apparently not."

"Have they printed the museum?"

"Every inch, found one of the double prints that Jiles found last time, different hand, different finger."

Grissom rubbed the bridge of his nose. "He can't realize there's a problem."

"That's what Jiles says. Something seems to happen while he in museum. The compound he's using breaks down."

"How is the suspect moving around?" Sara said noticing Grissom's apparent discomfort. He hadn't been alone with her for more than a few minutes since he had learned she was pregnant.

"Cookie we have no idea. He seems to just appear and reappear at will."

Grissom cut his eyes at Sara. She was so beautiful. He hoped the baby looked like her. "Brass this guy has to have resources. You don't just jump from continent to continent leaving no trail if you don't have access to private planes and ready cash. What's going on with the flight manifestos?"

"Nothing. None of the same people have flown commercial or private at the time of the attacks or during the window when the thefts probably occurred."

Silence echoed through the room until Sara had a thought. "The task force might want to check with Dr. Maya Kennedy at MIT. She's been working on a dissolvable plastic for a couple of years. I'm thinking our perp is using something similar that self destructs and maybe his timing is off."

"Will do Cookie. You got anything Blue Eyes." Grissom started to answer when they heard a familiar lyrical voice in the background. "James dear, it's getting late."

Brash snatched the receiver up and covered the mouth piece with his hand. The muffled sound still carried through the phone as Brass spoke, "Yes dear. I'll be right in. Hey guys I gotta go. Griss email if you think of anything."

Mother and father parted company and went their separate ways.

The small church that Chris and Ross attended was just off a particularly pristine section of beach. Mass was a stark but beautiful affair where Chris' voice carried loud and clear past the heavy walls of the church.

By her fifth month Sara realized that she might be faced with the distinct possibility of giving birth in Florida. It wasn't ideal, she couldn't tell her family about the baby, but she would have to make the best of it.

The Shadow case was going absolutely nowhere. The art thief had felt the vice like grip of the authorities. The attacks and thefts had stopped completely. It had turned into a waiting game.

"Gil"

"Yes"

"I am planning on using that empty room for the baby. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure"

She had given him a short smile and retreated to take measurements. The plans that Ross had designed were far to elaborate for Sarah's taste but she'd emailed a copy to Leigh and her bubbly enthusiasm had worn Sara down.

She didn't know how to navigate the Chris, Ross situation. She wasn't hiding them from Grissom. It just seemed easier to move around him but if she was going to carry out the elaborate literary theme that Ross has insisted on she would need help.

She returned to the front room where Grissom sat.

"Gil a couple of my friends are going to help with the room. They'll be in and out for a couple of weeks."

He gave the Supervisor Grissom stare over his glasses. "That's fine Sara."

Chris had shown up one day after work carrying two gallons of paint. Sara was a little surprised but glad see him. Chris' exuberant voice boomed through the hall. "Hey diva. I had a little extra time. The significant other is at some expo show and he directed that I should start painting. He can't stand for me to have down time."

"An idle mind is the devil's workshop."

"You are so Catholic you know that?"

Once he'd set up shop he's shooed Sara from the room. "If being pregnant doesn't get you out of slave labor I don't know what does. Go meditate or something. Be peaceful."

Grissom heard the male voice echo down the hall. He sat in the office and tried to concentrate on insect specimens from a serial killer case in Vermont. He was supposed to give Sara several portions of the file but couldn't bring himself to do it when her "friend" was in the house.

What's she going to do after this is over? Stay with him? Tell him the truth? None of my business. Sara needs to make a life for her and the baby. Get out her way and let her do it.

The days were not so bad for Gil. He could be comforted by a smiling singing Sara who poured over case files and read to the baby. He was glad that she could move without much pain. It was the right way to handle it. The other had been a foolish man's fairytale.

The nights were all together different. He rarely slept. When he did manage to catch the elusive hour or two it was by fooling himself that Sara was only up reading late and she would come to bed soon.

When Sara and Chris had gone, Gil slipped down the hall and looked around the room. The color was a lively shade of blue, close to the Grissom's own eye color only happier, similar to the hue his irises had been when things were better between Sara and him.

Sara's voice startled him. "What do you think?"

Supervisor Grissom turned around and stuffed his hand in his pockets. "It's very nice. It's a very happy color."

"I want him to be happy."

With me out of the picture he will be. He will be.

"Sara if you want I can call the feds and have myself moved. It's no problem."

"Do you regret it Gil?"

"No." It was the best thing that I ever did. You still are the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me.

She studied his eyes, and felt profoundly sad for him. He'd not know the beautiful sweet boy who Leigh said would grow up to be an artist. He wouldn't hear his footsteps as he raced through the house off to engage in some new adventure. Leigh had said he would be sensitive and kind. He would love books and become a gifted musician that made the angels cry when he sang. He would never care for short hair like his father, telling his mother that weight was the best defense with hair that refused to cooperate. The startling blue of his eyes would make woman and men alike stop in their tracks when he looked at them straight on. They would be lighter than his fathers so that in the right light it seemed that they were transparent. He would fall in love with a tall willowy dark haired woman whose skin looked as if it had been just kissed by the sun.

"I'll consider it. Even babies know when something is not quite right."

He nodded sadly and went back to where he had come from.