With Catherine and Warrick back on board for swing shift and Grissom, Sofia and Greg on a light workload at present, Nick and Sara were both given permission to rest up and returned to work at 8pm that night, half way through the swing shift which would allow them to finish up at 4am. Not that an 8 hour shift was ever finished in 8 hours. In fact Nick was having trouble remembering the last time an 8 hour shift was finished in only 10 hours. Overtime was just such a way of life he wouldn't know what to do with him self with more than 12 hours at home in any one stretch.

Sara greeted him at the lockers. "Jim just called, he has the boyfriend at the station and wants to know if we want to come over and eavesdrop. Also has an address for Devon Sampson and is sending out a uniformed invitation for him to join us at the station."

"Does that man ever sleep?" Nick asked as he finished loading his firearm and placed it in his holster.

"Don't feel sorry for him, his couch folds out to a bed. He may not get a lot of sleep but he gets enough."

Ten minutes later Nick and Sara were seated behind the mirror of the interrogation room and Brass and Vega interviewed Alan Cartwright, the victims boyfriend and the last man to see her alive.

"So on the night she went missing, you were with her correct?"

"Yeah, we met up for lunch and spent the afternoon together and then she left about 5pm."

"And you didn't see her after that?"

"That's right, I…. I went home and just watched TV for the rest of the night."

"Alone?"

"Yeah, alone."

"Can anyone verify your story."

"I just said I was alone."

The man looked nervous. Even Nick and Sara could tell he was sweating from were they sat. He was hiding something, that was for sure.

"So, where did she say she was going?'

"Said she was going home, had to talk to her Dad about something. She had been in a mood all afternoon, I was kind of glad she was going. Hey, what's this all about anyway, I told you guys this 4 years ago when she first went missing."

"Well, Alan, can I call you Alan or do you prefer Mr Cartwright?" Jim lived to keep the suspects off kilter.

"Alan's fine."

"Well Alan, who do you suppose this is?" Jim produced large photographs of the victims mummified body and tossed them across the table where they stopped just in front of Alan.

Alan looked down at the photographs and a sickened look came over his dark face. "What is this, who is this?"

"This, Alan, is Katrina. She's dead, in case you couldn't tell."

Alan pushed the photographs away from him and actually looked like he was going to be sick.

"Not a pretty sight is it?" Jim asked as he picked up the photographs and looked at them himself. He leaned over the back of Alan and placed one particularly gruesome shot close to his face, "See how the lips have pealed away from her teeth, looks like she is grinning doesn't it?"

"Get that out of my face." Alan forced Jims hand away from his fact and turned his head from the photograph.

"Bet she looked different when you wrapped up her body and buried her didn't it. Looked like she was sleeping. We found DNA under her fingernails, any chance it might be yours?" Alan's eyes widened as Jim Brass continued to talk to him. Widened still as he realised what the detective was accusing him of. "Doesn't look like she is sleeping now."

"You… you can't think I had anything to do with this do you? I…. I couldn't do anything like that to Kat… I cared for her too much."

"Cared for her? Did you hear that Vega? He CARED for her. But you didn't love her?"

"Yes I loved her. I could never do anything like that. Never. Why would you think I did?"

"Why? Because you were the last person to see her alive. Why? Because you have nobody to confirm that she left you alive. Why? Because you CARED for her."

Alan couldn't take the barrage any longer and started to tear up. "I would never hurt her. Please believe me. She left me at 5… she was fine… I…. I can prove it!"

Nick and Sara both raised and eyebrow at each other.

"Then prove it Alan. Prove to me that you didn't bash her over the head and bury her." Jim was almost shouting now, knowing that he was on the verge of a breakthrough or a confession.

"Daniel can tell you. He saw her leave. He was with me for the night." Alan leant forward and started to cry.

Brass and Vega looked at each other over the table and mouthed the word 'Daniel' to each other, just as Nick and Sara were repeating the same word.

"Who the hell is Daniel?" Sara's question was rhetorical but Nick shrugged his shoulders anyway.

"Who is Daniel?" Jim yelled at Alan. "You tell me you were alone an now you tell me there was a Daniel? Why should I believe you? Who is he?"

"My lover." Alan was sobbing now. Tears streaming down his face, hands wringing together showing is anguish. "Daniel is my lover. She didn't know I was bi."

Behind the glass Nick and Sara stared at each other. "Wow, this is better than Days of Our Lives." Nick exclaimed. Sara only nodded.

After Alan calmed down Jim was able to find out what happened.

"Kat and I spent the afternoon together, we had sex. Like I said she was in a real mood and when she gets like that she likes it…. Rough… you know what I mean. She left scratches on my back that took a week to heal. But she left after that. She said she had to go see her Dad about 'a legal matter' and then left. Daniel was parked outside waiting for her to leave. When she left he came in and …. He stayed for the night. I…. I couldn't say anything before, if my parents, or boss find out I am gay….. they will never forgive me. You can call him. He'll tell you what happened. I didn't hurt her. I couldn't. I cared for her."

Jim called Nick in and he took a swab from inside his mouth to compare to the DNA found on the victim. Nick had no doubt this would match one off the profiles.

Outside the three of them discussed their next move.