Precious Things by SLynn
Spoilers: Up to 'Nesting Dolls'
Rating: R for violence and disturbing content.
Disclaimer: Not mine – well, some are mine, just not the ones you recognize.
Chapter 17: Foreshadowing
It was another slow night at work.
Amy hadn't been able to match the semen stain found in the closet to any of the cases the night before, but Hodges had matched the bleach. And while they didn't get prints off of the broken wine bottle found at the site, they were able to confirm that she had been sexually assaulted with it, likely post mortem.
They now were all thinking that they had two psychos, not just one.
The biggest indication was the bruising. Again this victim, Taylor Sinclair, like Cynthia Haas had visible bruises on each thigh. Evidence she'd been held down. But since you can't hold someone down by yourself and use a foreign object on them at the same time, this guy had help.
The second indication was the footprints. They now thought that the girls were being killed somewhere and dumped. The carpet fibers and cat hairs was more then enough to convince them of that. But since there was no drag marks, and now two sets of footprints had been found, it was easy enough to guess that two people had carried the body to its final resting place.
This led them back to Russell Blackwater the janitor. Even if it hadn't been his semen in their first victim, on the sheet, or his skin under the third's nails, Taylor Sinclair had been in that closet. The bleach told them that. They needed to talk to him.
Nick and Greg agreed to do it first thing in the morning at the school. They also wanted to stop back by Mr. Amos' office and Ms. Blanchard's as well. See if they had any more information on Taylor Sinclair or Ashley Cooper. Detective Sullivan was going with them.
Nick made his apologies to Amy; he was not going to be able to go with her to the airport after all and offered to come over to her place once he was done. She told him not to worry about it, that he should just go home and rest and that he could meet Karen later that night. Asked him instead to stop by for dinner. That seemed to the best idea and so it was agreed.
As soon as shift had officially ended, Nick and Greg met with Charlie to go over to North Desert High.
"I've got to ask," Detective Sullivan said as the three rode over, "how do both of you manage to work with your girlfriends? Doesn't that get awkward?"
Both Nick and Greg laughed.
"Seriously," Charlie continued. "Aren't their regulations?"
"Well," Greg answered, "I don't know about Nick but Sara and I aren't allowed to work cases alone, Ecklie's orders, so it really isn't a problem. We probably only see each other two or three times some nights."
"What about you?" he asked again to Nick, "You can't avoid the DNA lab."
"No," Nick said still laughing, "I can't, but Amy's got a system. Basically she does anything I bring in for processing last to avoid the appearance of favoritism. Doesn't matter what the case is, how hot or serious, if I hand it to her it goes on the bottom of the pile automatically."
"You're kidding," Charlie said laughing now himself.
"I wish I was," Nick returned, "I have to ask Greg to turn in everything from our cases, she gives him special lab rat preference."
"Ask?" Greg questioned, "Tell is more like it. And no, she does not give me any special preferential treatment. At least she doesn't if she listened to anything I told her. When she got hired I told her to only give special treatment to the people who wrote the checks and no one else."
"But you always did my stuff first," Nick said casting him an odd look.
"Oh yeah," Greg said with a sarcastic nod, "Always Nick."
Charlie laughed again, this time at Nick's expression.
"So you use to work in the lab?" Charlie asked after a pause.
"Yeah," Greg said with a nod, "for like six or seven years. Something like that."
"Why'd you move out?" he asked again, "And stop me if I'm asking too many questions guys."
"You're fine," Nick assured him, "You're a detective, you're supposed to ask questions."
"I don't know," Greg answered after another brief pause, "I wanted to do something different. Lab got old."
Nick stayed quiet knowing there was more too it then that, Greg was just never comfortable talking about it. Not even to him.
"Okay," Charlie said as he parked the car, "Who first? Any preference?"
"Let's talk with the Amos first," Nick answered, "and just go from there."
The other two men nodded and they were on their way.
Vice Principal Amos was out of the office that morning so instead they went to see Ms. Anne Blanchard, the school counselor.
She was a nice enough looking woman just this side of plain. Average height with dark hair cut aggressively short and a pair of glasses that were too dark for her features. But that kind of summed her up on the whole; everything about her was too dark for her features. This was their second meeting with her and it was no surprise to find her in a suit. Ms. Blanchard, and she asked them to call her that, looked like a control freak. Greg was willing to bet that if her hair hadn't been so short she'd keep it in a bun so tight she'd never need a face lift. That and she probably had some sort of weird fetish. She just gave off that vibe.
Not that she wasn't nice or helpful because she was both. Looks can be deceiving that way.
Once more she gave them all the information they needed about Taylor Sinclair and Ashley Cooper. Ashley's death seemed to affect her more. Ashley wasn't typical of the other girls killed; she'd never been in trouble. She wasn't one that was in and out of her office for truancy or vandalism or a dozen other problems. Ashley had just been a nice girl who sometimes came in to talk. Just talk.
Getting everything they needed they asked to see Russell Blackwater next only to learn that he hadn't shown up to work that day. Getting his address they decided to head to his house only to once more come up empty.
With nothing left to do they called it a day.
Greg didn't see Sara's car in the drive but did spot Betty out in front of her house. That in itself wasn't unusual. Neither was her waving him over for a quick chat. Having nothing else to do since sleep wasn't about to happen anytime soon and really just being too damn nice, Greg walked over to her.
"Good morning Betty," he said once he got close enough.
"Hi Greg," she said with a warm smile, "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," he said with a nod, not sure where that came from, "You?"
"Oh, I'm good. Good. Howard's laid up again, he can't even get out of bed. And my youngest, Eric, he's got the flu. Can you believe it? The flu at this time of year."
"Well, the weather has been a little up and down."
"It has," she agreed which was followed by an awkward pause.
"Oh," she started again, "Sara went out this morning, not long after she got in. Saw that man here again. You know the older one with the beard."
"He's our boss, Dr. Grissom," Greg said with a hint of a smile. Betty always thought it was odd if any member of the opposite sex stopped by to see either of them while the other was out. "I think we introduced you to him."
Betty nodded but he could tell she didn't remember him at all.
"Probably had a scene to go to," Greg continued, "Our job pretty much is twenty-four hours a day."
"Well, no wonder you never look rested. Either of you. You're both too young to be working hours like you do."
"We manage," Greg said with a faint blush.
"I won't keep you," she said with another smile, "Get some rest."
"Alright," Greg said stepping away, "Let me know if you need any help, with Howard's back acting up again and all. Okay?"
"I will and thank you."
Greg just waved and crossed the street. He waited until he was well inside the house before he shook his head in disbelief. He liked Betty, liked her kids even, Howard wasn't even bad, but man was she nosey.
He knew all about Betty's speculation regarding Amy. Sara always told him when Betty had a new Amy sighting and they both laughed about it. Greg however did not tell Sara that Betty viewed Grissom the same way. That she was always telling him whenever Grissom had stopped by when Sara was alone. Somehow he just didn't think Sara would find that amusing. Greg didn't really see much humor in it himself.
Dropping his things he suddenly felt much more tired then he'd assumed he would. Heading straight for the bedroom he barely got his shoes off before he was out cold again on top of the covers.
He was woken a few hours later by a kiss.
First he smiled and then he winced.
"Sara," he said, eyes still closed, "what is that smell?"
She laughed and he felt her settle down beside him.
"You probably don't really want to know."
"Not really," he said sitting up now beside her and checking the clock. It was just past eleven. "Rough case?"
"I'll just say that I've already showered twice and still the smell remains."
Greg nodded and smiled at her.
"One more can't hurt," he offered and she lightly cuffed him on the arm.
Sara got up and began to undress on the way to the shower. Greg sat up and watched her, smiling when she turned around to see what he was up to.
"So is sleeping in your clothes your new thing?" she asked, leaving the door open so he could hear and see her.
"Maybe," he answered, leaning back as she got into the shower. From the bed he could just see her in the mirror opposite above the sink. "It just happens. I'm not doing it on purpose."
"Are you taking those vitamins?" she asked.
"Uh huh," he answered getting up now and taking off his own clothes.
"Because you know Dr. Tracey said you should be taking them," Sara stopped short, startled. "What are you doing?"
Greg smiled at her having joined her in the shower while she'd been going on about the vitamins.
"I needed to shower too," he answered with his best smile. "I'm conserving water."
He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply.
"I thought I smelled," she said wrapping her arms around his neck and tossing her head back.
Greg leaned in and kissed a path up her neck stopping at her ear.
"Nope," he whispered.
"I thought you were tired," she said this time with a laugh.
"Not anymore."
