"The Poll and The Body"
I.
Hodges body was found in the Trace lab. The cadaver was mostly concealed under his desk, with the exception of one foot, which stuck awkwardly out as it wouldn't quite fit. Also under the desk was one of the lab microscopes. There was a large square indent in the back of Hodges's head that seemed to match the base of the microscope.
Sara and Warrick began to collect evidence while Greg skipped around the lab in glee. Sara picked up the microscope in one hand and looked at Warrick. "Possible murder weapon?" she asked Warrick.
"Maybe," Warrick said. "That would make it a crime of opportunity, then."
"I'm not getting any fingerprints from the micro-Greg! Your glee is ruining my concentration. Can't you go skip somewhere else?"
"I can not contain my joy!" Greg announced, still skipping. "Hodges is dead! All is right in the world again!" Sara continued to give Greg a disapproving glare, so Greg said, "C'mon, Sara! If it was Sofia under that desk, you'd be the first one to jump around in total happiness."
"Well, yeah," Sara said, "but Sofia is way, way more annoying than Hodges."
"As if!" Greg said. "Hodges was WAY more evil than Sofia!"
"All right," Warrick said then. "It's not like we're seriously trying to solve this case anyway. Everybody, step right up: it's time for the official poll of the story, maybe the most difficult choice in any CSI's life. Who really is more annoying, Hodges, or Sofia?" Warrick turned to Sara. "Still sticking with your choice, Sara?"
Sara nodded firmly. "She went to dinner with Grissom."
"Greg?"
"Dude, he's Hodges. Sofia actually helped me on a couple of cases. Hodges is just an asshole."
Warrick turned to the electronic scoreboard that had magically appeared. "One for Hodges, one for Sofia." He then turned to where Nick, Grissom, Brass, and Catherine had shown up all at once. "Nick?" he asked.
Nick thought about it. "Hodges," he said finally.
"Nick!"
"Sorry, Sara, but at least Sofia is easy on the eyes. You can't say that about Hodges."
"Traitor," Sara muttered.
"Catherine? Warrick asked.
"Sofia," Catherine said without hesitation. "If there's going to be any second woman in Grissom's life competing against Sara, it's going to be me. We haven't like each other since Day 1 and that's how it's going to stay."
"Thanks. ..I guess," Sara said.
"Brass?"
Brass shrugged. "I think Nicky spoke for me. I mean, would you have wanted to see Hodges in that mud fight today?"
Everybody imagined Hodges in a pink bra and matching thong, running in slow motion, Baywatch style, and shuddered. "Sorry, Sara," Warrick said, "but Brass just swung my vote right there."
"Thanks, Brass," Sara said sourly.
Warrick turned to Grissom. "What about you, Gris? Do I even need to ask?"
Grissom pushed up his glasses in an educated manner. "David Hodges was, in my mind, a man who need psychiatric assistance. He obviously had many pathological disorders that gave him a personality faceted by many flaws and irritating character traits. Though Sofia may have annoyed some of the viewers, she was, at least, a competent CSI with no mental disorders that I am aware of, talking to herself not withstanding. Therefore, I'd have to go with the fact that David Hodges was indeed the more annoying member of the Vegas night shift."
"Yeah, that was a clear vote for I wanted to screw Sofia," Sara said, and everybody coughed and looked away. "Funny how all the guys seemed to not be bothered by an attractive blonde."
"Anyway," Warrick said before anyone tried to start another fight, "back to the murder. We think that we might have the weapon but otherwise there isn't a lot to report. No fingerprints, no hair, no DNA evidence."
"There's always evidence," Grissom said and this time everybody joined in the chorus of "Dun dun DUN!"
II.
Hodge's body lied on the morgue slab. Grissom stood with the Doc looking over it.
"What can you tell me?" Grissom asked.
"Well, he didn't kill himself," the Doc said.
Grissom looked at him, puzzled. "It looks like blunt force trauma to the back of the head," Grissom said. "Why would you think it was suicide?"
"If you were Hodges, wouldn't you want to kill yourself?" the Doc asked. "Anyway, your hypothesis was correct. Cause of death was definitely blunt force trauma. Warrick showed me the microscope they found with the body and the indent is a perfect match. You've got your murder weapon."
"Hmmm," Grissom said to himself. "So, someone murders Ecklie, then Hodges. Either they're trying to get the Humanitarian of the Year award, or maybe Hodges saw Ecklie's murder. . ."
As Grissom pondered, the Doc looked directly at the camera. "We will begin italics now," he said. "This will signify a flashback. Just to let you all now." Then he too went looked at the body and began to ponder what could have happened.
Hodges went to Ecklie's office, looking smug and annoying like always. He's planning on impressing the boss by snitching on somebody, only to walk in on the murder of Ecklie. Quickly, Hodges hides, and once the killer leaves, Hodges goes into the office to leave his idiotic note because he has to show off how cool he is. He thinks he gets away scot free but the killer suspects that the note writer was Hodges, so he goes up to the trace lab, picks up a microscope, and bashes Hodges in the back of the head, killing him.
"Sorry to contradict you," Doc said. "But there are two flaws with that idea. First off, Hodges's arms and hands are bruised, indicating a struggle."
"He could have fought off his assailant," Grissom pointed out.
"Yes, but most of the wounds indicate aggression," the Doc said. "It looks like Hodges was the one to start the fight."
"But that makes no sense," Grissom said. "Why leave the note and then confront the killer. That doesn't seem in character at all."
"That's because it's not," the Doc said. "Gil, his body temperature confirms one thing: Hodges was killed about eleven o'clock last night. That puts his death BEFORE Ecklie's. Hodges couldn't have been the one to write that note. Hodges died first."
Off: I know, I know. Intense ending. Lol. Anyway, one more chap to go. Hope you like.