flat and she started in the middle. She is a saint.
She is a goddess.
Sorry it took so long. Thank for being patient.
Chapter 37
"So did this woman flirt with you Gris?" Nick had called to report in as soon as he'd left Martina's house. Grissom's neck grew hot as Sara raised an eyebrow in his direction. "She flirted with you?"
Grissom looked at Brass from under hooded lids. You couldn't say this to me in private?
"Honey will you get me a drink?" Grissom wanted Sara out of the room if they were going to have this conversation.
She didn't bite. "What do you want?"
"Rum and Coke."
"We don't have any rum and I not going out any." Grissom threw another look towards Brass.
Brass mumbled against the almost empty tumbler. "Sorry."
"We talked some."
Brass' mouth twitched as Sara crossed her arms and continued to stare.
"Um that's not what Cath says. She says that she was flirting with you." Grissom's eyes narrowed and looked between Sara and Brass. Brass mumbled again. "Sorry."
He turned to Sara. "We were talking. I told her Mom owned a gallery. I gave her Mom's card."
"Cookie it was seven years ago give the guy a break. Even then we all knew about you."
Sara was surprised. "How did you know about me?"
Grissom intoned. "You had never even met Sara."
"Yeah but when Gris mentioned his friend Sara he was almost giddy, well giddy for you."
Sara dropped uncrossed her arm and smiled. "You were giddy?"
"I don't know which was is worse the fact that Brass told you I was flirting with another woman of the fact that he just told you I was giddy about you."
Sara brought her lips to his cheek. "The flirting for sure", she regarded him and became serious. "Was she flirting?"
Grissom thought about it. "Maybe, until she saw Boer. Once see saw him it was as if no one else was in the room."
Brass saw an opportunity to move the conversation back to the case. "What about him?"
"Same thing, you could see what was happening. They were out of there in 15 minutes."
"Tell me about her? What was she like? Have you seen her any since that time?"
"Twice, once when I was visiting Mom and once at a ballet benefit."
Sara voice was dripping with playful suspicious. "Who were you going to all this stuff with?"
"Catherine" Sara pursed her lips. "What? Sam was on all these boards. She got invited to everything. Then she starting inviting Warrick and was home alone thinking about you." He kissed the tip of Sara's nose.
"Back to the cases Romeo and Juliet."
"What was she like?"
Grissom thought for a second then spoke to Sara. "You have to promise not to get mad."
Brass watched as she whispered something in his ear. Grissom's lips whispered something back that made Sara blush. Grissom shook his head. "The sooner you finish Blue Eyes, the sooner I will be gone and the sooner you can have your way with Cookie."
With a sharp intensity Sara realized that Brass was with them for a short time. His being with them seemed so natural, so ordinary, she'd forgotten the seriousness of his mission. "When are you leaving?"
He looked at his watch. "I need to be out of here in about and hour. Don't look so sad doll face. You'll be seeing a lot more of me, at least once a month."
She smiled as she leaned into Gil. Brass pointed towards Grissom. "Continue."
"Martina is very beautiful. She reminded me of Sara a little which is probably why I talked to her as long as I did. She has a gap, she was tall and slender and she was very smart. I think that maybe she was flirting with me that first night and I was probably flirting with her because she reminded me of Sara. We had a lot in common but like I said that lasted all of a few minutes before Boer came into the room."
Brass chewed on his pen. "Do you think that is why he was interested in her because he thought she was interested in you?"
Grissom's answer came out in a clipped pronouncement. "No. The energy they exuded reminded me of the first time I actually talked to Sara."
Sara was surprised that Grissom's thoughts and actions had bee so consumed with her even when she hadn't been physically near. Maybe he did love her. Maybe she wasn't the only one.
"Dr. Grissom may I ask a few questions"
"Certainly, Ms. Sidle right?"
"You can just call me Sara" Sara did not have many romantic relationships under her belt so she had never understood why women felt awkward around men they were attracted to. She suddenly wished that she had straightened her hair this morning.
"Have a seat Sara."
"I have few questions about blood splatter. I was thinking of writing my final paper on it. It might take some time."
Grissom watched as her mouth moved. It was wide and luxuriant. Her dark curls were pulled back into a loose ponytail. He was glad that she didn't straighten it like some women.
Nick's called again a few minutes before Brass left.
"Hey Nicky"
"Is Brass still with you? Where's Sara?"
"She's in the office pulling together some stuff for Brass."
"Put me on speaker phone."
Gil did has he was instructed.
Nick was breathless with panic. "Guys I'm in trouble."
The older men leaned closer to the phone worry wrinkling their brows.
"It's Martina."
A sharp bark came from Gil and Brass.
"I almost jumped in the middle doorway. What should I do?"
Brass and Gil leaned away from the phone their bodies relaxing with relief. Sara came back into the room as Brass began to speak. "Calm down Nicky. What happened?"
"First is she a suspect?"
"She's not a suspect Nicky. She might even been in danger."
"From this Boer guy?"
"Yes"
"So there's nothing I should know about her?"
"She's a hardworking, fairly successful artist. She teaches several courses at UNLV. She also funds and runs a small foundation to help poor artistic kids. She's good egg. Now what happened?"
Nick closed the door to what was now his office, Grissom's former office. "She opened the door and I thought I was going to pass out. Gris if you hadn't given me that list of questions I would have made a complete fool of myself. When I got to the truck I had rings of sweat under my arms."
Brass thought back to the first time he had met Lillian. "Did you ask her out Nicky?"
"Yes" Nick prowled the office impatiently.
"Did she say yes?"
"Yes"
"Where are you going?"
"Well first I asked her out to dinner then I told that I couldn't wait that long so we are going out for breakfast. You think I scared her? You think that I was too eager? What if she calls back and says she's changed her mind."
"Sara"
"Dr. Grissom"
"I was just checking to see if we are still on for tonight" Please don't change your mind. Please don't change your mind. I need to see if you even I can't touch you.
"Just Grissom"
"What?"
"That's what everyone calls me, just Grissom"
"Hi Grissom"
"I was calling to make sure we are still on for tonight?"
Had he changed his mind? "Yeah, um did you change your mind? I mean did you make other plans."
"No I don't have any plans. Not that I don't ever have plans. I mean I have plans with you to meet at Echo and talk about your paper because we need to eat. We should eat." Stop babbling Gil.
"So I'll meet you at 7?"
"Can we make it 6"
"I am free at 5." I just need to see your eyes. Maybe I can't touch you but I can look into your eyes.
Grissom spoke evenly understanding the fear that was coursing through Nick's veins. It was the feeling every man yearned for but still dreaded. "Nicky I am not sure what the problem is."
Nick's voice went up and octave. Was anyone listening to him? "The problem Gris is that I just met this woman and I can't get her out of her head. I need to get a hold of myself."
Grissom and Brass laughed again.
"What is so funny?"
The two older men regarded one another. Brass' voice resonated in Vegas. "The young Nicky, the young are very funny. You need to let go of the idea that you are going to get yourself under control."
"I called because I need help. I don't need to be laughed at. This what you guys are for, older wiser right?"
Brass stood as Sara pointed to her watch. She handed Brass his jacket and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Nicky take out your wallet."
"What?"
"Just take out your wallet. You want help, we are going to help."
They listened as Nick pressed the speaker phone button. "Okay its out."
"Alright take everything out of it and give us the inventory as you do. Don't skip anything."
Nick began to empty his wallet. "One MasterCard, one debit card with a MasterCard logo, one Shell gas card, one picture of my family taken last Christmas, one driver's license, one movie ticket stub from the new action flick with Pierce Brosnon and finally one condom."
"Look at the condom. Is it expired?"
Nick read the tiny dot matrix print. "Yes."
"Okay so throw that one away and pick up at least a twelve pack." Gris stood as Brass moved towards the door. "Oh yeah and Nick tell them you won't be in next shift."