Privacy by SLynn
Disclaimer: It's all mine, because yeah, this is what I'd do with my free time if I actually owned these characters.
Chapter 7: Really Don't Know
Greg was back at the lab, heading into the break room to review the photos once more before shift started. Inside was a woman he didn't know.
"Are you waiting for someone?" he asked, her back to him.
"Just my sister," she said turning round and he could easily guess who that was.
"Greg Sanders, nice to meet you," he said stepping inside to shake her hand. "Jennifer right? Amy's sister."
She stood up and smiled at him, shaking hands with him once.
"I'm surprised she talks about me. She's usually not that social."
"Not at first maybe," Greg agreed not exactly caring for the tone of her voice, but shrugging it off, "but she's pretty chatty once she knows you."
"So you two know each other well then. She never mentioned you."
"I'm an afterthought in most people's minds," Greg said with a smile.
Jennifer just returned it, barely.
"Can I get you anything? Drink? We've got vending machines around the corner."
"No, I'll just wait. Thanks," she said, sitting back on the couch.
Greg took the table and started shuffling through the files.
"So what exactly do you do here?" she asked after a minute or two of silence.
"Me or Amy?" he asked.
She didn't respond, just raised her eyebrows in expectation.
"We put together puzzles."
She laughed at that for a moment and briefly sounded just like Amy.
"Really?"
"Basically, yes. All evidence is a big puzzle. We pick up the pieces, find out how they fit, see the big picture."
"So you don't arrest people, carry a gun?"
"Not right now," Greg said with a smile.
"Sorry," Amy said coming through the door. "I've just got to catch the temp up and then we can go. Oh, hi Greg. Did you two meet?"
"Yes," Jennifer answered, "we were having a nice talk about what you do."
Amy looked at Greg for a moment, he thought he saw panic just below the surface of her eyes, but she said nothing.
"Working swings?" he asked her instead.
"Yeah, kind of. Just got everything straightened out. We're going out, checking out the town."
"Nick too?" he asked and wished he hadn't. Amy looked flustered and Jennifer a little hostile.
"Yeah," Amy answered with a very forced smile. "He had the night off."
"Well I'm glad, you two look like you'd need an escort."
Amy smiled for real at him; Jennifer even managed to look a bit less indifferent.
"Before you go," Greg said getting up and tugging on her elbow as he headed for the door, "can we go through that tox screen again? Just so I'm clear."
"Okay," Amy said uncertain. She had no idea what he was getting at; Greg could read it just as well as she could. Probably better, but she followed him out into the hall anyway.
"You were here when it came in last night," Amy said pulling it out of the file back in the lab, "what did you want to see?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you. You okay?"
"Ugh," she said putting the file away, "she's making me nuts. She insisted we go out but threw a mini-tantrum when I invited Nick. I can't un-invite him and honestly, I don't know where we'd go if he didn't come. The only places I know are the ones we've been too together."
"Why doesn't she like Nick? That's unnatural. Everyone likes Nick. Something about the accent I think."
"Don't make me relive it," Amy said folding her arms onto the desk before burying her head into them. "It's just so bad."
"Well now I have to know."
"Jennifer was at my condo the other morning, when we'd all gone out to breakfast."
"And?"
"And, Nick came back with me."
"And?" Greg asked again.
"And what? I'm not drawing you pictures. Let's just say she saw things and leave it at that."
Greg laughed.
"It's just so not funny. She still sees me as her baby sister. Her completely incapable to make decisions about own her life because she doesn't know better baby sister."
"You're what, twenty-four now?"
"Twenty-three," she corrected.
"But you've been out of college two years."
"I graduated early."
"Really? Okay, not important. You're old enough to live your own life."
"I know, I really do."
"So?"
"So, I guess I need to stop being so afraid of what other people think of it," she finished.
Amy had left with Jennifer not long after Greg's pep talk. She felt better, felt stronger, but her resolve faded quickly upon Jennifer's renewed attitude towards Nick.
He'd shown up as he always did, early. Nick was polite and courteous, holding doors and taking hands when needed. Let them pick the restaurant and the club without any argument and was in short so perfectly gentleman like that Amy couldn't figure out exactly what Jennifer thought was wrong with him. But she obviously did think there was something.
Most of the conversation at dinner was halting. Jennifer really only talked to Amy, and when Amy tried to include Nick whatever discussion was begun came to an abrupt end.
The club was only better because they could talk less. Jennifer was at least enjoying herself, which Amy thought had to count in Nick's favor.
"Do you want to dance?" he asked her after they'd been there awhile.
Amy just nodded and tried to ignore the look Jennifer gave them as they headed to the dance floor. It was a slow song and Amy was glad to have the chance to just be next to him.
"How are you?" he leaned in to ask. Nick knew how she was, distraught. It was easy enough to see.
"Sorry," she answered, pulling him down so he could hear her. It was so loud and she didn't want to be screaming, "I don't know what's wrong with her."
"Don't worry about it," he returned, trying to maneuver them away from the speakers, towards the back part of the dance floor. "I'm not. I'm worried about you."
Amy smiled at him, enjoying the closeness. She hadn't felt his arms around her in what seemed like days, what felt like weeks. Nick felt it too.
Before he could stop himself by remembering that Amy's already angry, overly protective sister was likely watching them like a hawk from across the room, Nick leaned in and kissed her. Amy didn't even try to stop him, ran her hands up from his neck and into his hair enjoying the moment.
They broke apart as the song ended and her face immediately flushed.
"She's looking isn't she?" Amy asked, still staring down at his chest.
"Yeah."
"Well," she said taking his hand to head back really not knowing what to expect, "let's just get this over with."
Back at the lab Warrick was prepping Greg for his first interrogation. He'd already witnessed half a dozen or more from the other side of the glass, tonight he was going in.
"Mainly just watch and listen. Ask questions if you need too but let me and Brass handle most of it."
"Got it," Greg said with a nod following him into the room.
Brass was already there, along with Angela Thomas, Mrs. Warner's sister. She was typical for Vegas. Tall, thin and blond. They'd matched her fingerprints at the scene as one of the three unknown sets. Now they just needed her side of it.
"Sorry for the wait," Warrick said, handing a print off to Brass as he crossed the room.
Greg was now realizing he never asked where he should go, so he chose the far wall opting to stand instead of sit.
"Can we hurry this along?" Ms. Thomas asked impatiently.
"We just need to establish some basics," Brass said as a way of beginning, "you lived with your sister and her husband for how long?"
"Four months."
"And when did you move out?"
"They kicked me out two weeks ago."
Brass nodded.
"When was the last time you'd been over?"
"I haven't been back," she said in somewhat of a huff.
"We found fingerprints in the kitchen matching yours," Warrick added.
"So? I said I lived there right?"
"Two weeks is a long time," Brass answered, "especially in a place like that. The Warner's had a maid, looked like she took really good care of the place."
Angela turned in her chair, facing slightly away from them. She gave Greg a cold appraising look before turning her attention back to Brass.
"I might have stopped by earlier that evening," she reluctantly admitted.
After an hour an a half they'd gotten her story. She claimed to have been sleeping with the mister. When her sister found out she'd thrown her out without another word. Looking to reconcile she'd gone back, coincidentally on the day of the murders, talked with Shania but to no avail. Not being able to actually put the poison in her hand they had no choice but to let her go.
"Still think it's the son?" Warrick asked Greg as they got back to the break room.
"Well, I like her less, but yeah. We haven't heard his lies yet."
Warrick laughed and headed out just as Sara headed in.
"How'd it go?" she asked knowing where they'd been.
"Great, I make excellent wallpaper."
"Give it a few more times, you'll be asking questions soon enough."
Greg shrugged and said nothing. At the house it had been a little tense between the two of them. They never let their fights spill over to work, but this was different. They hadn't really fought this time, just disagreed. It would be easier if they had fought.
"You taking your break soon?" she asked.
"Now if you are."
Sara nodded and smiled. Clearly, she felt the same. She didn't like the uneasiness between them and wanted it cleared up as soon as possible. She just hoped forty-five minutes over a late dinner would be enough.