Chapter 9: Best Served Cold
7:16 p.m.
Parking Lot, Luxor Hotel
Las Vegas, Nevada
–
Grissom and Brass climbed out of the SUV and headed for the main lobby. Finally, we're going to get some real results, Grissom thought. Some part of him wondered if Brass was thinking the same, though his experience with the detective told him not to. Their time together had revealed to Grissom that Brass was a realist; he held no expectations of the future. That way, he wasn't be disappointed in what he found there.
"Okay, Grissom, let's talk about this," said Brass, not sparing a glance at the CSI. "You think Simon Henstridge is the killer. Why?"
"He's been acting erratically and he's been lying through his teeth. Neither one is good for business managers, especially when they get caught in the act. He has something to hide, and that something is big enough that he's willing to risk his integrity and quite possibly his career for it."
"On that, at least, you and I agree," Brass remarked. "He's definitely guilty of something. But for the sake of argument, why jump from lies to murder?"
"Ambition," was the prompt reply. "Simon Henstridge has great aspirations. He likes hanging out with movie stars. He wants to play Duel Monsters with the world champion. All of the above just happen to come through Las Vegas and stay at his hotel." Grissom frowned. "You know, that doesn't sound like coincidence to me now that I've said it out loud."
"You know how paranoid you sound right now?" Brass commented. "We're only talking about one conspiracy theory at the moment, not two."
"Getting back to the subject, then, they come to his hotel. His hotel. Except it wasn't his, it was his father's. He was just a co-manager."
"That's still a pretty high rank to risk losing because you're jealous of your old man."
"In that case, tell me about all the stable people you've met during your time in Vegas."
"No such thing as complete stability," Brass answered. "We're all unstable. Unbalanced. Any number of things can throw us over the edge."
"Then let's start with Henstridge's childhood."
Brass raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"
"Childhood. Age five, he started losing his hair because of alopecia. When I spoke to him just this morning, he said it was something his father had given him. But alopecia isn't genetic, it's an autoimmune disorder and strikes randomly. I'll bet that was the start of his grudge against his father."
They passed through the sliding doors and approached the front desk. An employee was waiting for them at the counter. She flashed a bright smile. "Hello, may I help you?"
"Yeah, I think you can," said Brass. He flashed his badge. "Captain Brass, homicide, and Gil Grissom with the crime lab. We'd like to talk to Mr. Henstridge."
Her smile fell in disappointment. "I'm sorry, Captain Brass, but lower management said Mr. Henstridge went home early. Said he's not feeling well."
"You sure about that?"
She nodded. "We were going to send him a card. He's been really nice to us all lately. Even came down here the other night just to tell us all we were doing a good job... and he never gives praise to the lowly employees." She smiled again. "We wanted to do something nice for him in return. Especially since the loss of his father. I don't know how he keeps it up under all that pressure. He's always so calm and collected."
"Admirable, isn't it?" Grissom muttered.
Brass scoffed under his breath, then put on a look of confusion. "Well, ma'am, that's all well and good, but when we called down here, we talked to management and they said he was with some acquaintances in the VIP room."
She shrugged. "I don't know what to tell you, sir. Maybe you shouldn't take my word for it. All I hear is what lower management tells me."
"We'll keep that in mind," Grissom said, and Brass took that as a cue to leave the counter.
They both strolled to one corner of the expansive lobby. Brass glanced back at the young woman as she assisted a young couple in reserving a room. "He's with VIP's and he walks out on them because he's not feeling well?"
Grissom shook his head. "Another lie. I say he's still here somewhere."
"Yeah. Question is, where?"
"I can think of two places, both ground level – the casino, and the central atrium. You check the casino and the VIP room, I'll take the atrium."
"Grissom, he's a needle in a haystack. How do you expect either of us to find him?"
"We're about to find out." Grissom turned and made for the hotel's interior.
Brass rolled his eyes and followed.
'The Search for the Obelisk' Entrance, Luxor Hotel
–
"Guardian Sphinx, attack Yugi's Life Points directly!"
Yami pressed one of the buttons on his duel disk, revealing one of his favorite cards. "Activate Spellbinding Circle!" he declared, and when the holographic representation of his card flipped up, a band of intricate energies emitted from the picture and looped around Guardian Sphinx. "This trap prevents your monster from attacking or changing its battle position as long as it remains on the field."
Henstridge's expression of joy turned to a dissatisfied scowl. "That may have saved you from losing the duel this turn, but your Life Points are still wide open. Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, attack him directly!"
"Once again you're mistaken, Henstridge," Yami snapped. "Activate Magic Cylinder!"
Spear Soldier charged forward, ready to strike at Yami's heart – but the activated trap card flipped up between them, and Spear Soldier crashed into the trap instead. Then he fell into it, as though it were a mirage... then emerged an instant later, running in the complete opposite direction.
And his spear jabbed Henstridge instead.
Henstridge stumbled backward as his Life Points dropped from their previously untouched 4000 to a battle-scarred 2500. The holograms had finely-tuned force fields surrounding certain parts of their bodies, making a direct attack seem real to some extent.
"Magic Cylinder's effect cancels out your monster's attack on my Life Points and redirects it to yours instead," Yami announced. "Sorry, but it looks like your plans have backfired."
"Not for long," Henstridge vowed. "My turn ends here."
Yami drew. "So does your ego trip. I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior (1400/1700) in defense mode." His new creature was a construct of metal, outfitted with a modest shield and sword, and highlighted with red and blue paint on opposing sides. "That ends my turn."
Henstridge drew his next card in silence, then said, "I place one monster face-down in defense mode. Your turn."
I have to keep up the offensive if I want to succeed. I can only subject him to a penalty game if I win the duel. Yami slipped his next card off the top of his deck, inspected it, then put it to use. "I play Pot of Greed," he declared, "to draw two more cards."
That done, he added two new cards to his hand, then announced, "I summon King's Knight (1600/1400) in attack mode." A stout, bearded warrior clad in red armor wavered into existence, sword at the ready. "And I also shift Alpha to attack mode. Now, King's Knight, do away with Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier!"
A single swing from the nobleman's sword was all it took to shatter the hologram on the opposing field... but, as before, Henstridge's Spirit Barrier trap card pulsed, indicating his Life Points would take no damage from the strike.
Yami ignored the inconvenience. "Alpha, attack his face-down monster!" An instant later, he reflected that it was a risky maneuver by most standards to attack a face-down using a monster with only 1400 attack points, but he had a distinct feeling the monster being attacked wouldn't be able to withstand the strike.
Much to the surprise of experienced spectators, Yami's hunch proved accurate – Alpha's short sword cut straight through the face-down card. A transparent monster image appeared in the air for a moment, then faded away.
"It seems my Swarm of Scarabs (500/1000) couldn't make the cut," Henstridge quipped.
"So it would seem. I end my turn."
Henstridge drew his next card, then declared, "I play Gravekeeper's Assailant (1500/1500) in attack mode." Another familiar monster, the dark-robed assassin appeared next to the still-trapped Guardian Sphinx. Henstridge didn't waste his time. "Gravekeeper's Assailant, attack Alpha the Magnet Warrior."
Assailant, true to its master, made short work of Yami's exposed monster... a swift stab to its midsection caused it to explode on the spot. Yami's Life Points descended to 2600, and then the effect of Henstridge's active Coffin Seller trap kicked in to take them down to 2300.
"And just like that, my Life Points are above yours again," Henstridge gloated. "My turn's finished."
"Don't start celebrating your victory just yet," Yami replied, drawing. "You've left your Assailant wide open for King's Knight, and I'm about to bolster my defenses by summoning Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) in defense mode." The monster that appeared did not even bear so much as a passing resemblance to its departed brother, save for that it was made of metal. Gamma was a rotund, pink machine – pink! – and two metal wings adorned its back. It bore no weaponry of any sort in its hands.
Nevertheless, Yami and Yugi had put it in their deck for a reason... and it had seen them through many troubled times since. Both of them put their faith in its ability to help them to victory, whether by attacking or defending. "King's Knight, attack Gravekeeper's Assailant!"
Another slash of the warrior's sword brought a second Gravekeeper to its doom, and King's Knight began gaining a reputation among the nearby spectators. Yami nodded in satisfaction. "That ends my turn."
Henstridge drew his next card – and abruptly smirked. "Well, well... this should make things a little more interesting. I play the field magic card Necrovalley!"
Abruptly, the carpet around them vanished, replaced by sand and rocks and a pair transparent cliffsides stretching at least two stories over their heads, one on each side. Yami watched them rise up warily; he vividly recalled that this card had been nothing but bad news.
"As you know already, Necrovalley increases the attack and defense factors of all Gravekeeper monsters by 500 points," Henstridge noted, "and as long as it's in play, cards that have effects involving graveyards are nullified."
Yami noticed static flashing up and down one trap card he was starting to find particularly annoying. "It looks like your Coffin Seller trap card qualifies as involving graveyards, since it only activates when my monsters are sent there. Now I can sacrifice with impunity."
"Not if you don't have the monsters in your hand to do it, you can't. Which is why I activate a magic card that's lain dormant on my field for a few turns... Royal Tribute." Henstridge leered at Yami. "It can only be activated when Necrovalley is in play, and forces both of us to discard every monster card in our hands."
Yami's eyes narrowed. He'd had Curse of Dragon and Summoned Skull in hand, the latter waiting for a second chance at the battlefield. Unfortunately, they were no longer of use, and he slipped them into the graveyard slot of his duel disk. He noted that Henstridge was living up to his end of the bargain, as well, but neither chose to ask what the other had gotten rid of. Yami only knew that Henstridge had rid his hand of one card.
"I think that'll do it for me, this turn," Henstridge finally declared.
"Then it's my move." Yami drew. "And I'll make it count, by summoning Silent Swordsman - Level 3 (1000/1000) in attack mode." The monster in question was short, but the white armor it wore and the gleaming buster sword in its hands showed it meant business. "I also place one card face-down, and end my turn."
"That's making it count?" Henstridge sniffed. "You should know better than to summon such weak monsters in attack mode when your Life Points are running out, Yugi. And you, the Duel Monsters world champion. I'm disappointed." Henstridge drew, then said, "I place one monster in face-down defense and end my turn. Not flashy, but at least it counts."
"Don't be so quick to discount my Swordsman," Yami admonished as he drew. "After one full turn has passed since his appearance on the field, he grows in strength – into Silent Swordsman - Level 5 (2300/1000)."
As the former pharaoh spoke, Silent Swordsman underwent a startling transformation. He glowed incandescent white, and then his form morphed; his sword grew longer, his armor became heavier, and most notably, he became nearly twice his original height. "And I'm not finished with my monsters yet, because I sacrifice my King's Knight to summon Archfiend of Gilfer (2200/2500) in attack mode!"
King's Knight vanished, to be replaced by a huge red-armored fiend with wide black wings. Yami aimed a finger at the creature that had become an eyesore for him. "Archfiend of Gilfer, attack Guardian Sphinx!"
Obediently, the massive creature flew across the span of the field and let loose a powerful blast of dark energy on Henstridge's monster. It crumbled on the spot, as did Yami's Spellbinding Circle, but the spirit couldn't care less, as long as the threat was gone. "Now, Silent Swordsman, attack his face-down monster!"
The overhead swing of Silent Swordsman's massive blade, however, had less of a desirable effect than Archfiend of Gilfer's attack – the huge sword was halted and repelled, and when the attacked monster was revealed, Yami realized why – it was another of the dark-robed Gravekeeper monsters.
"Meet my Gravekeeper's Spy (1200/2000)," Henstridge said cheerfully. "Thanks to Necrovalley, his defense becomes 2500, enough to withstand your Swordsman's blow, and then some."
"It's a mistake I won't make again," Yami promised.
"I'm sure it is. But just so you know, when you revealed him with your attack, you triggered his special ability – he can special summon any Gravekeeper monster from my deck that has 1500 attack points or less. So say hello to Gravekeeper's Curse (800/800) in defense mode."
The new monster on Henstridge's field was shorter, quite obviously less bulky, and overall much less powerful than its spying counterpart – nevertheless, Yami eyed it carefully. This is another effect monster; he wouldn't have summoned such a weak creature otherwise.
"As I'm sure you've gathered, Gravekeeper's Curse also has a special ability – when he's summoned to the field, he delivers 500 points of direct damage to the Life Points of his opponent."
Curse's weapon was a narrow crook, and he aimed the wand at Yami – a green bolt of energy speared from it and struck the pharaoh in his chest. Yami's Life Points sank to 1800.
Yami's eyes narrowed. It seems he's not the only one capable of underestimation. "You didn't prove to be half this good at Duel Monsters when you dueled Joey," he said.
"That's because I had a bad hand. Sometimes life gives you those. That's why you get back in the game and start out with a new one."
"I'll choose not to notice the irony of your saying that and end my turn."
"Glad to hear it." Henstridge's next drawn card drew a smirk from him even wider than the one he'd developed in using his Royal Tribute card. "I sacrifice Gravekeeper's Curse to summon Gravekeeper's Chief (1900/1200) in attack mode!"
This new threat, unlike all the previous ones, wore bright white robes, and bore a staff that presumably was his weapon. As with the other Gravekeepers under Necrovalley's protection, his floating attack/defense points became 500 points higher.
"While Gravekeeper's Chief is on the field, the cards in my graveyard aren't subject to the lockdown powers of Necrovalley, which means I enjoy all the benefits of cards like Monster Reborn," Henstridge clarified. "Also, when I tribute summon him to the field, as I just did, I can special summon a Gravekeeper monster from my graveyard. So I choose my Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier in attack mode!"
Not good, Yami thought. Most of these monsters couldn't hope to match my high-powered creatures, but they're doing an excellent job of reproducing themselves and keeping my lower minions at bay.
"Now, Gravekeeper's Chief, attack Archfiend of Gilfer!"
An iridescent blast of energy emitted from the orb atop the Chief's staff and engulfed Yami's Archfiend. The beast roared in defiance all the way to the grave, where its special effect of weakening an opposing monster would have taken place – were it not for the field magic card denying the fiend its revenge.
Ground Level Atrium, Luxor Hotel
–
The floor rumbled with an inhuman roar. Grissom could feel the jarring of his bones by the deep vibrations.
He'd heard that curiosity killed the cat, but it certainly was attracting an inordinate number of people. Tourists were breaking away from lines by the dozen to catch a glimpse of what was making all that racket on the other side of the building... and Grissom had to admit he was as curious as they.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything to check it out... With that reasoning in mind, he followed the crowds to the source of the noise.
And when he cleared those throngs of people to finally understand what was happening, what he saw made his jaw drop open.
Yugi Motou... playing Duel Monsters against Simon Henstridge?
–
Henstridge's leer was nothing short of sadistic. "Next, Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier, destroy Gamma the Magnet Warrior!"
The spear-wielding spellcaster charged across the field and laid into Gamma with everything he was worth. Gamma protested in a distinctly digital fashion, but it couldn't stop the attack. It blew apart, leaving Yami with 1400 Life Points and Silent Swordsman - Level 5 still to his credit.
"Don't think I let your Swordsman off the hook just because I'm a nice guy," Henstridge warned Yami. "Your Archfiend of Gilfer would have proven more difficult to destroy in defense mode if I'd given you time to put it there."
"Quite right." Yami drew. "Whatever you do, don't let me accuse you of being nice." He smirked at the card he'd just drawn. "And I hope you won't accuse me of being nice, either, Henstridge, because if I was merciful, you wouldn't be playing this game. Now, I play the magic card Dark Magic Curtain, which allows me to summon my favorite monster directly from my deck at the cost of half my remaining Life Points." And as his Life Points scrolled down to 700, Yami announced, "I call the Dark Magician (2500/2100) in attack mode!"
Some people gasped. Others just smirked. These people knew who Yugi Motou was; they knew just as well as he did that Dark Magician was hands down his favorite monster in his entire deck. Not any of the Egyptian god cards, interestingly enough, but Dark Magician. Possibly it was because there were so many cards to combine with it – no one was entirely certain of his motives concerning that particular monster. Whatever the reason, it was his favorite, and they weren't going to argue the point.
Henstridge merely sniffed at it. "It still can't penetrate my Spirit Barrier's protection."
"Is that so? Spirit Barrier only affords your Life Points protection when you have a monster on your field. All I need to do is clear them away – and with my Dark Magician, I intend to do just that. Dark Magician, attack Gravekeeper's Chief!"
The purple-armored wizard let loose a barrage of dark magic upon the opposing monster, shattering it where it stood. Yami nodded in satisfaction. "All right. Now, Silent Swordsman, attack Gravekeeper's Spear Soldier!"
Silent Swordsman's second blow of the day had more success than his first; it split its target cleanly in two, then returned to its master's field and awaited its next assignment.
"Finally," Yami said, "I activate the trap card Time Seal, which prevents you from drawing a card on your next turn. We'll see just how much protection you can conjure for yourself."
"I can conjure quite a bit in a pinch, I imagine."
"No doubt. I end my turn."
"Well, in that case, I'll place one card face-down and finish my turn there," Henstridge shrugged.
"How expedient. I draw... and play the magic card Poison of the Old Man, to increase my Life Points by 1200." Yami's play caused his Life Points to leap to a more vitalized 1900. "That finishes my turn."
Henstridge drew, then said, "One card face-down, end turn."
Yami's next card gave him cause to nod in approval. "I equip my Dark Magician with the Book of Secret Arts, increasing his attack and defense by 300 points... 300 more points than your Gravekeeper's Spy can afford."
"Indeed," Henstridge sneered. "Then bring it on, Your Majesty."
"I intend to." Dark Magician's outline glowed aquamarine, indicating it had been empowered by an equipment card. "Dark Magician, attack Gravekeeper's Spy!"
Another negative energy burst from Dark Magician's staff seared the air, but this time Henstridge was ready. "Activate Astral Barrier!" he responded. "When you attack one of my monsters, I can shift the attack directly to my Life Points – and any battle damage to my Life Points becomes zero, thanks to my Spirit Barrier!"
Yami scowled. "A convenient circle, and one I intend to break. I end my turn."
Henstridge drew. "I play Pot of Greed," he declared, "and as you did earlier, draw two extra cards... then I place one card face-down and end my turn."
Yami's next draw gave him a sense of impending victory. "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior (1600/1000) in attack mode!" he declared. The hologram that appeared on his field was actually that of a spellcaster, not a warrior, but he still bore a sword and wore glinting red-and-gold armor. "And this monster has a very special ability to its credit... when summoned, he gains a spell counter that increases his attack points by 300."
"Not nearly enough to do any good," Henstridge retorted.
"Maybe not when it comes to attack power, but that's not why I brought up the counter. I can sacrifice that counter and Breaker's extra 300 attack points to destroy a magic or trap card on the field – and the card I'm choosing is your Spirit Barrier!"
Breaker's sword glowed brightly, and it aimed the point of its sword at the Spirit Barrier card. A white beam of magical flame erupted from the sword and overwhelmed the target. Yami smirked. "Your Astral Barrier card is still active, so if you want to, you can still direct my attacks to your Life Points... but I don't think you want that. Dark Magician, attack Gravekeeper's Spy again!"
This time, Dark Magician's attack went unhindered, and Gravekeeper's Spy crumbled under the assault. But Henstridge was on the move again. "I activate the trap card Rite of Spirit," he announced, "to revive Gravekeeper's Chief in attack mode!"
"You're beginning to sound like a broken record," Yami remarked.
"Maybe, but you're beginning to look complacent. You've left Breaker wide open for an attack."
"Have I?" Yami smiled mysteriously. "I end my turn."
Henstridge growled as he drew his next card. "First, I'll show you the dangers of your folly. Gravekeeper's Chief, attack Breaker!"
Another blast of energy – Yami had lost count of how many energy plays had already been made – split the distance and incinerated Yami's monster... along with it, 800 Life Points. But the face behind which the pharaoh lay showed no indication of irritation toward his opponent for the attack. That expression only seemed to infuriate Henstridge even more. "Next, I play Swords of Obscuring Darkness!"
Out of nowhere, a series of swords composed of bone and shadow rained on Yami's field. Dark Magician vanished under the storm, and its monster card flipped over and into defense mode.
"When this card is activated, all monsters on the opposing field are automatically turned to face-down defense mode, and they stay that way for two turns," Henstridge informed him. Then he frowned. "Except, I note, for your Silent Swordsman."
"Silent Swordsman - Level 5 is immune to the effects of all magic cards," Yami replied. "If you want to destroy him, you'll have to do it on your own merit."
"I intend to next turn. And the turn after that, I'll destroy your Dark Magician. And then I'll destroy you."
Yami's grin only widened. "You really believe that, do you?"
"Don't you dare doubt it, either. I end my turn. Make the most of yours."
"And how can I not?" Yami responded, sounding perfectly reasonable as he drew his card. "A turn doesn't get any better when you have cards like this one at your disposal – the magic card Heavy Storm, which rids the field of every single magic and trap card on it!"
Oscillating forcefields set up by the holoprojection technology in the duel disks created an artificial wind, and a complex display of whirlwinds blowing away all magic and trap cards present on the field did the rest. Lightning blasts obliterated all five of Henstridge's cards – there were none to account for on Yami's field. The holograms of Necrovalley, Astral Barrier, Coffin Seller, and Swords of Obscuring Darkness all vanished in the onslaught.
However, Henstridge's fifth card proved to be a little more stubborn. "Destroying my Statue of the Wicked trap card allows me to summon a Wicked Token (1000/1000) in defense mode," he said, and a small snakelike creature shimmered into being on his field to assist Gravekeeper's Chief in guarding Henstridge's Life Points.
Yami shook his head. "It won't be there long. First, I restore my Dark Magician to attack mode." The spellcaster again appeared on the field and took position next to Silent Swordsman. "All right. Dark Magician, attack Gravekeeper's Chief!"
Dark Magician's signature dark magic attack warped the field as it moved to strike Henstridge's best monster. There was nothing the businessman could do to save it or his Life Points... and so it was that Gravekeeper's Chief was destroyed, and Henstridge's Life Points dropped to 1900.
"Silent Swordsman, destroy his Wicked Token!"
Yami's warrior didn't have to expend much effort on the creature – another sweep of the blade and the Wicked Token was solidly cleaved. Yami looked at Henstridge. "It's your move."
Henstridge took a long moment to consider the options he had left. He could run, of course... but to all those watching, it would be a sign of cowardice. He could forfeit, but that would be a loss – and he couldn't afford to lose. He could plead for mercy, but he already knew he wouldn't receive any.
He finally looked his opponent directly in the eye.
The boy was just as fierce in his determination as when they'd begun.
"I have to keep fighting," he said aloud, and he drew. After a long moment of consideration, he announced, "I'll place this monster in defense mode and end my turn."
"Stubborn to the last," Yami remarked. "But at least you didn't give up." He drew, then declared, "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1600) in attack mode." This monster was also unlike its brethren in appearance, save for the fact its body was comprised of metal – yellow this time, with red and blue highlights in various locations and magnets for hands.
"Silent Swordsman, attack his face-down monster!"
When the warrior brought its gleaming sword down on the monster card, however, Henstridge said, "You may want to take note that when Cobra Jar (600/300) is revealed, its effect summons a Poisonous Snake Token (1200/1200) to my field in defense mode, and when the token is destroyed in battle, you take 500 damage to your Life Points."
Yami examined his Life Point counter – it read 1100. "I think I'm safe on that account, Mr. Henstridge, but thank you for letting me know. Beta, destroy the Poisonous Snake Token!"
All Beta was required to do was smash the creature underfoot. At the same time, Yami's duel disk beeped as the Life Point counter scrolled down to 600. He looked back up at Henstridge, who stood alone, unprotected by any monsters or face-down cards.
"I suppose you and I do have something in common, Mr. Henstridge," he said. "We both attack defenseless men. Dark Magician, attack his Life Points directly!"
Again, Dark Magician brought its emerald staff up to loose the energies of its dark magic attack upon Henstridge. The blast turned all colors on the field to negatives, and Henstridge was awash in black light. He was thrown to the ground by the hit; the force of 2500 attack points shook him to the core.
And his Life Point counter arrived at its final number.
Zero.
He struggled to his feet, looked at his opponent, and gasped.
A glowing golden Eye of Horus had set itself upon Yami's forehead, and his Millennium items were glowing with similar energies. Yami knew that Henstridge was the only one here who would see his third eye or the glow of the items.
"This is what happens when you let your greed take hold of your sanity... what happens when you trespass on the souls of my friends," he said.
He raised his arm, pointed directly at Henstridge.
And his next words would change the businessman's life forever.
–
Grissom stared at the spectacle, hardly willing to believe his eyes. Any number of possibilities raced through his mind, all of them equally unlikely but nevertheless intriguing. Whatever the reason for their presence at this place instead of the arcade's dueling platforms, the King of Games had apparently chosen to duel the one man Grissom was quite sure Joey's party of five would never want to see again.
He was struck by the sheer ferocity Henstridge had displayed throughout the game. The man had acted positively feral towards his idol. Something about Yugi got to him. Badly. He's gone delusional enough to think he can defeat a world champion without breaking a sweat. His eyes had caught onto the fact that he wasn't wearing gloves of any kind now, playing with entirely bare hands. His eyebrow rose at the sight of the discarded gloves lying on the floor; they weren't the same kind he'd extracted samples from earlier today. That's our break, right there.
When Henstridge's Life Points hit zero, a round of applause and cheering went up all around the spectacle from fans of the game, as well as people who'd simply had five minutes to kill. But Grissom held less interest in crowd reaction, and more interest in the sudden expression of shock and disbelief on Henstridge's face as he looked at Yugi. Grissom frowned and turned to look at the Duel Monsters champ, but besides all the gold totems he was wearing, there didn't seem to be anything there that would elicit that sort of expression.
Though now that he scrutinized Yugi more carefully, he could see several differences. The hair, for one, was slightly altered now to include narrow blond spikes in front of the wide maroon and purple ones. And the boy somehow seemed taller, although that could simply have been attributed to the pride with which he was carrying himself.
The attitude is the most remarkable, though. Yugi had been nothing but meek and modest during his time at the crime lab; here, on the dueling field, confidence and self-assurance seeped from his pores. He was most decidedly "in charge" now, no longer a blushing child with raging hormones but a full-fledged adult who knew what he was about. That likely explains why he seems taller. People stand up straighter when they're more confident. The voice change can be attributable to the same...
Grissom pulled out his cell phone and quick-dialed Brass.
"Yeah?"
"Could you come to the 'Search for the Obelisk' entrance, please?"
"On my way."
He hung up, and although he was looking directly at Yugi and Henstridge, he very nearly jumped – indeed, he frightened several others in the crowd – when his next words resounded throughout the entire atrium... perhaps the entire city of Las Vegas.
"PENALTY GAME!"
–
Henstridge felt something hard fall on his arm. Hard, and freezing cold. He frowned, looked at the item that had struck him.
It was a gold brick.
He reached out, picked it up, and inspected it. Yes, it was a gold brick... and it was colder than anything he'd ever touched. He released it, heard it thud to the floor.
Another dropped out of the air. And another, and another, all coming down to pile on him. He shouted, curled into a fetal position and put both his hands over his head, intent on at least trying to survive the rain of gold without a cranial injury. But the barrage did not abate; if anything, upon his move of self-preservation, it increased. The bricks clanked against each other as they added to the pile, and still more came dropping out of seemingly nowhere.
This isn't right! his mind insisted. This can't be real!
But whether or not it was real, it seemed real, and that's all that mattered right now.
He screamed as he was buried underneath a frozen hill of gold.
The most precious commodity he could think of had become his doom.
–
Grissom gaped at the sight of Henstridge curled up on the floor, shouting nonsense. He must have cracked. We need to get him out of here right now. He raced to Henstridge's side, tried to shake him out of it. "Simon! Can you hear me? Simon!"
But Henstridge would not be shaken from his terrified shrieks, would not be pulled out of his fetal position. He rolled about on the floor in apparent agony, much to the chagrin of the spectators who had just a few moments earlier been applauding his defeat.
Grissom could feel Yugi approaching from behind, and he turned to look questioningly at the duelist. "What happened?"
"Mr. Henstridge here, more than anything else, wanted to get his duel. So he got his duel." The boy stared down at the businessman without any trace of emotion in his maroon – red? I thought they were purple – eyes. "Now he's paying his dues. It's useless to try to wrest him from this insanity... he will have to leave it on his own. And there's only one way for him to do that."
Grissom frowned. "What is that method, if I may ask?"
"He must admit to his crimes. Else his mind will be buried in them, all thought bent on what he wanted to achieve by committing them." The boy – no, the young man met Grissom's gaze. "Ambition is the downfall of even the world's greatest heroes, Mr. Grissom, never mind the world's businessmen." He looked back down at the writhing man. "Mr. Henstridge is suffering from a penalty game... an illusion that will pass only when he brings himself to justice."
"Justice for what?"
"Stop! Okay! Okay! I confess! Stop!" Henstridge screamed. "I did it! I did it all! I killed my father! Do you hear me! I KILLED MY FATHER!"
Almost instantly, his screaming ceased, to be replaced by more quiet moans and whines... though from what injuries, Grissom couldn't even begin to guess. He began to uncurl, but the floor was where he remained.
Brass pushed through the crowd and looked at the three men at the center of attention. He looked at Grissom with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism.
Grissom could only shrug in response. "He cracked. I think it's safe to break out the cuffs."
"I'll do the cuffs, you do the evidence." Brass gestured to where the gloves lay, then knelt down to assist Henstridge in his trip to jail and began reading the man his rights.
As Grissom picked up the gloves with his trusty pair of tweezers and put them in an evidence bag procured from his pocket, he felt Yugi's eyes still on him. A thought occurred to him, and he turned to face the duelist. "With all the drama you just told me, there's no way that could have been just a friendly Duel Monsters match with an unpleasant end. What were the stakes?"
Yugi's lips quirked up. "Underage gambling is illegal, Mr. Grissom. Hadn't you heard?"
In spite of himself, Grissom couldn't help but smile.
We finally got him.
But it's not over yet.