"Mr Fletcher." Horatio said as he and Calleigh stood on his porch.
"Yes." The man who had opened the front door to them said.
"I'm Lieutenant Caine and this is Detective Duquesne we're from the Miami-Dade crime lab." Horatio introduced them.
"Is this about the missing person's report I just filed about my wife an hour ago?" He asked.
"Mr Fletcher do you think we could come in?" Calleigh asked.
"Of course." He held the door open and let them past. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
"We're fine Mr Fletcher." Horatio said. "When was the last time you saw your wife?"
"The day before yesterday. We had a fight about me coming home from work late again, she accused me of having an affair, we argued and I left. When I got back her sister was here watching the kids, I thought she would cool off and come back but she hasn't. That's why I reported her missing."
"Mr Fletcher we have some bad news." Horatio said.
"Please don't tell me she's dead." He said.
"I'm very sorry." Horatio replied.
"Oh god." He sank onto the couch and put his hands to his face. "When? How?"
"Earlier this morning." Calleigh replied. "She was shot several times."
"Why would anyone want to hurt her?" Fletcher asked.
"Mr Fletcher, you have a nine mm gun registered to you, could I see it?" Calleigh asked.
"Excuse me?" Fletcher looked at her.
"Your gun I'm going to need to see it."
"You just tell me why wife is dead and you want to see my gun?"
"Yes Mr Fletcher." Calleigh replied.
"It's in the gun safe; I'll go and get it."
Calleigh put on a pair of gloves to take the gun when he came back.
"This gun has been fired recently." She commented.
"I went to the shoot range and shot of a few rounds when I left. It helps me clear my head."
"It's an older nine mm model." Calleigh said examining it.
"It was my father's he was a cop. He gave it to me before he died." Fletcher said.
"Police issue guns are supposed to be returned to the police department when an officer leaves the force." Horatio said.
"I don't know, he just gave it to me for protect against all the home invasions that were happening." Fletcher replied.
"I've got something else." Calleigh said. She reached into her kit and took out a pair of tweezers.
"What've you got Cal?" Horatio asked.
"A red fibre, it looks consistent with the one we found on Mrs Fletcher earlier." Calleigh said.
"Mr Fletcher do you own a pair of red gloves?" Horatio asked.
"Red gloves? My son has a pair of those Magic stretch ones he wears when we go to visit my wife's parents. It snows there occasionally." Fletcher said.
"We're going to need to see them." Horatio said.
"I don't know where they are, Helena took care of things like that." Fletcher replied.
"Would you mind if we took a look around?" Horatio asked.
"Yes I would." Fletcher snapped. "You come and tell me my wife is dead and now you want to search my house. I don't think so."
"I'll tell you what I think you should go with the officer we have waiting outside, while I go and get a warrant to search your house." Horatio said.
"You want me to go to the police station?"
"Yes." Horatio said going to open the door. "Officer if you would take Mr Fletcher in for questioning."
"Yes Lieutenant. Sir, if you'd come with me." The police officer took him by the arm and escorted him out.
"Calleigh take the gun back to the lab and run a comparison to see if this is our guy. I'll go and get the warrant."
"You got it." Calleigh replied.
"And our discussion is not over."
"Just call it indefinitely on hold." Calleigh replied.
"Calleigh." Melanie the receptionist called to her as she was walking through the hall later.
"Hey Mel."
"Is Speed at that conference today?" She asked.
"No, Horatio gave him a reprieve half way through he should be back and helping Eric by now. Why?"
"There's a woman waiting over there to see him. She says she knows him. I asked to wait while I found out if he was here." Mel replied.
"I'll take care of it." Calleigh said. "Can I get a visitor's pass?"
"Here you go." Mel handed it to her.
"Thanks."
"Hello." Calleigh said walking over. "I'm Calleigh; I understand you're looking for Tim."
"Yes." The woman turned to look at her. "I'm Grace Verity. Tim and I met at a conference earlier today and he left kind of abruptly so I just came to check he was okay."
"I see." Calleigh guessed that she was the woman that Speed had been trying avoid by calling her. "Well if you just clip on this pass and I'll take you to see him."
"Thank you."
Calleigh lead her to Trace where Speed and Eric were working.
"Timothy, honey." Calleigh said making her accent more evident. Tim and Eric looked up. "Grace came to check that you were okay since you left the conference early. Wasn't that sweet of her?"
"Yes." Tim said not sure what else to say.
"I need to get back to ballistics, but since I was on the way to tell you the sitter called to say that some of the other children that she looks after had come down with the chicken pox and they wanted to warn us to be on the look out for signs with the boys I thought I'd show her where you were." She walked over and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you at home. Eric perhaps you could come and assist me?"
"Of course anything for my best friend's wife." Eric said getting in on the act. "Don't worry I'll have her home in time to get the kids to bed." He winked at Speed. "Let's go my lady."
"Now are you sweet." Calleigh smiled as she and Eric left.
Calleigh and Eric managed to get around the corner before they cracked up with laughter.
"What's so funny?" Alexx asked.
"Calleigh and Tim got married and had a couple of kids who might be coming down with the chicken pox." Eric explained.
"I'm a little confused." Alexx said.
"Tim picked up a new lady friend at the conference this morning that is kind of like a leech and won't let go. So he called me pretending that I was his wife earlier, Horatio said he could leave early. Then about ten minutes ago she turned up here to check up on him." Calleigh filled in the details. "I couldn't leave him floundering could I so I just kept up the act."
"I see."
"Cal do you really need my help?" Eric asked.
"No I was coming to tell you the computer kicked out a match to your gun and bullets." Calleigh replied.
"I thought AFIS was a bust." Eric said.
"It was but there are a couple of other databases I can run bullets through. The FBI's Drug Fire kicked out a match to a shooting in South Dakota."
"Drug Fire?" Eric questioned.
"It's the FBI's database of guns that were used in connection with drugs cases; it works in conjunction with the ATF and the DEA." She handed him the file.
"Thanks Cal."
"Now you just have to figure out how it ended up in Miami." Calleigh smiled.
"I have something for you." Alexx said. "I found some seeds in her hair." Alexx handed over the evidence envelope. "Also a few more of the red fibres in her throat."
"So they tried to suffocate her and strangle her before they shot her." Calleigh summarised.
"It looks like it. But she put up a fight and she was pregnant."
"How far along?" Calleigh asked.
"A few weeks."
"Mr Fletcher failed to mention that when we talked to him earlier. I'll have Horatio ask him about it when he interviews him after he's finished searching the house."
"You brought him in for questioning?" Alexx asked.
"His gun had been recently fired and there was a red fibre on it which matches the one I took from her neck earlier." Calleigh explained. "I'd just fire the test shoots for comparison when the computer beeped with Eric's hit."
"I see."
"By the way Alexx did you have to say something to Horatio?" Calleigh asked.
"Sorry Cal honey, he should know." Alexx said.
"Know what?" Eric asked.
"Yelina step up Ms Nice Cop routine this morning."
"Ouch, sorry Cal." Eric said.
"Does everybody know about this?" Calleigh asked.
"We all see how she treats you when H isn't around. I'm guessing if you were wearing his jacket that would be a big problem for her." Eric said.
"Would you all stop worrying about it? As I told Horatio, I'm an adult I can deal with it." Calleigh said.
"You shouldn't have to." Eric said. "But if that's what you want. Alexx I'm going to get some coffee while Speed gets rid of his new friend do you want to join me?"
"That would be great." Alexx said. "See you around sugar." She said to Calleigh who sighed before heading back to ballistics.
"Calleigh." Horatio said walking in to Ballistics.
"The bullets from the gun match the ones we found at the crime scene. Alexx found some more red fibres in her throat and some seeds in her hair. I haven't had a chance to run them yet between analysing this and pretending to be Speed's wife again."
"What about pretending to be Speed's wife?"
"He overly friendly friend came to check up on him since he left early." Calleigh explained. "Did you find anything at the house?"
"The red gloves stuffed down the back of the couch, there were grass seeds all over the lawn and a trail that led to the garage and ultimately to the trunk of the car."
"So what are we thinking that they had the argument as Fletcher said he did go to the shooting range, he was there for a couple of hours, I spoke to the range marshal. When he gets back the sister is there with the kids and Mrs Fletcher did go out."
"But she obviously came back." Horatio said.
"So he puts on the gloves and tries to strangle her on the lawn, she attempts to scream so he puts his hand over mouth and cuts off her air until she passes out. He drags her and puts her in trunk."
"When is consistent with the evidence of the scuff marks on the shoes and ankles. So he waits a few hours, and when he realises she's still alive drives her out to where we found her and shoots her, but instead of disposing of the gun he takes it home. Why?"
"He's just killed his wife after several attempts I don't think he's going to be at him most rational. Then to cover it up he reports her missing." Calleigh said.
"We need to tie the seeds together. I'll take them."
"They are still holding him awaiting your instructions." Calleigh relayed.
"Unfortunately he is going to have to wait a bit longer. Calleigh about Yel..."
"Calleigh." Speed said coming in. "Sorry H am I interrupting something?"
"Nothing that can't wait." Horatio replied.
"What did you need?" Calleigh asked.
"I wanted to say thank you for helping me out earlier." Speed smiled.
"No problem. I take it she's gone."
"Yes, and she won't be back. So thank you."
"You're welcome." Calleigh smiled.
"Do you have plans after the shift is over?" Speed asked.
"No what did you have in mind?"
"I'll take you out to dinner to say thank you."
"Since the kids are only real in Miss Verity's mind, I think you have yourself a deal."
"I'll see you later and we'll set up the details."
TBC
