Chapter 6
Brass and Nick looked up as the door opened, Warrick entering first, Nika hiding behind him. Warrick nodded, closing the door behind him, and Brass and Nick turned back to the line of men against the wall.
"Okay, here's how it works. You stand still, don't move, don't talk, don't even sneeze until this is over, got it?" Brass asked, eyeing each of the men individually. They all nodded, some staring at the girl next to Warrick. "Alright, we're good," Brass said, nodding again to Warrick. He steered her to stand in front of the first man, lifting both of her hands to the man's cheeks. Nick and Brass supervised, watching both the identification process and the men in the line as she shook her head and Warrick moved her to the next. Behind the glass, Grissom and an assistant District Attorney he'd not worked with before watched as well.
"She's brave," the ADA, Justin Ruben commented. "Most lineups are done in anonymity. Suspects don't see the witness." Grissom only nodded. "How sure are we this will work?"
"I don't know yet," Grissom said. "We're still waiting on the control of the experiment to get finished."
"The sketch of one of your CSIs," Ruben said.
"I'm not sure if it was a CSI or a lab tech, or even a secretary," Grissom said. "Only Warrick and the subject know who it was."
"When will we find out?" Ruben asked.
"The artist is supposed to bring the sketch and the video tape tomorrow." Ruben nodded.
Inside the room, Nika had worked her way to the third man, quickly shaking her head and moving to the fourth. Only two were left. Warrick lifted trembling hands to the man's face, and Nika stiffened, moving her fingers slowly as the man stared down at her, eyes narrowed. She stepped backwards suddenly, slamming into Warrick's chest so hard he bumped into the table, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her from falling. She turned away from the man, burying her face in Warrick's chest.
"Get me out of here," she whispered, trembling so hard against him he had trouble holding her up. "Get me out!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. Warrick nodded at Brass, who opened the door, and Warrick maneuvered her out of the room. "Outside, please," she whispered. Warrick nodded, guiding her down the hallway, but as soon as she felt the heat emanating through the windows, she broke away from him, pushing through both sets of doors and jogging until she felt grass under her feet, having been to HQ enough times to know the lobby and front lawn of the property. She collapsed onto her knees under a sapling, sobs racking her body. Warrick jogged to her side, ignoring the stares of passersby. Nick appeared seconds later, but Warrick held up a hand, shaking his head, so he stopped a few feet away. As Warrick tended to the hysterical witness, Brass stopped at Nick's side.
"We need that sketch," Brass commented quietly. Concern written all over his face, his jaw clenched, Nick only nodded.
xxx
Casey sighed, checking in on Nika, who'd spent the last twelve hours in a darkened bedroom. Her home had been released the day before, and Casey decided to stay with her until the case was over. Jason Noble had returned early this morning to replace the sliding glass door as Casey helped Nika move back in, Shasta supervising Noble's work with a constant, rhythmic pant. As soon as he was done, Shasta retreated to Nika's room to watch over her owner. Neither had heard anything from the investigative team since Warrick had carried her up to Casey's apartment yesterday and brought the news of the house being released. Nika had said nothing as she shuffled into the apartment, curling up on the couch with her blanket, and Casey had only asked Warrick, as politely as she could manage, to leave. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the phone rang. Even Jason jumped, having decided to stay for lemonade after finishing the door. Casey reached out, picking up the phone.
"Hello?"
Casey? It's Nick Stokes.
"What now?" Nick was quiet for a moment.
I just wanted to let Nika know that we got the guy.
"I think that's pretty obvious," Casey snapped. "She told you that yesterday."
I realize that, Nick said gently. What I mean is that we have the evidence the DA needs to press charges. Arraignment is tomorrow, and it looks like he'll plead.
"Which means what, exactly?" She tried, but couldn't keep the annoyance out of her voice.
Meaning both he and his attorney know there's enough evidence to convict him, so he'll probably plead guilty, Nick explained. Casey didn't say anything. Meaning no trial. We'll find out tomorrow if this thing is over.
"Tomorrow, huh?" Casey asked. "I'm sure Nika will be glad to hear about that. If she'll come out of her fucking room, that is." Even Jason looked up at that, surprised at the woman's tone.
Is everything okay? Nick asked after a beat. Casey sighed.
"I'm sorry," she said weakly. "I'm just frustrated. Nika's still terrified. She hasn't come out of her room since we got here this morning."
She's not going to want to be alone for a while,Casey, Nick said. I know it seems like a bad idea, but we explained everything to her. How this was different from other lineups, and she still wanted to do it. Casey stifled a sniffle. She's incredibly brave, Casey. She chose to do this, okay? She did what she thought she had to do, and she helped our case come together. Nick paused, and Casey closed her eyes, brushing tears from her cheeks. We couldn't have done this without her. Tell her that.
"I will."
Okay. If you need anything – anything at all – just let us know, okay?
"Okay."
Alright. One of us will call tomorrow and let you know how things turned out, Nick said. Probably Captain Brass.
"Okay, thanks," Casey said, the edge gone from her voice.
Y'all take care. Casey waited until Nick hung up before clicking the phone off and replacing it. Nika shuffled into the room.
"Who was that?" she asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. Casey opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to think of what to say.
"It was Nick," she said finally. "Stokes." Nika nodded, wrapping her arms around her middle.
"And?"
"The arraignment is tomorrow," Casey said, watching Nika's brows furl. "They think he'll plead guilty." Nika nodded.
"Good," she said, paddling into the kitchen.
"Are you okay?" Casey asked, following.
"Not really, but I will be," Nika said with a shrug, opening a cabinet and withdrawing a plastic cup. Casey watched as she filled the glass with tap water, her finger curled around the lip of the cup to feel when it was nearly full. She took a long swallow, starting toward the living room.
"I wish you'd talk to me," Casey said quietly as Nika passed. Nika only sent a dirty look her way, shaking her head. As she moved to the couch, she bumped into Jason's knee, immediately reaching out to run her fingers down his face.
"Hi, Jason."
"Nika."
"How'd the door go?"
"It's all in and working like new," Jason said with a touch of pride. "I took the liberty of getting double paned, treated glass. Harder to break." Nika managed a weak smile.
"Appreciate it," she said, a barely noticeable quiver in her voice. "Shasta keep you company?"
"Oh yeah," Jason laughed. "She made sure I did it right." Nika nodded, chuckling a little. He glanced at Casey quickly, then toward the door. "I should probably head home," he said quietly, standing. Nika reached out, patting his arm.
"Thanks, Jason."
"Anytime." And then Casey and Nika were alone, Nika sipping her water and Casey watching her, looking like she wanted to say something.
"Casey," Nika said finally, "I know you want me to talk to you about everything, but I don't work that way." Casey sighed, dropping into a chair across the room from the couch. "I appreciate everything you do for me, helping me and all, but…" she trailed off, shaking her head with a small smile. "Hell, you've known me for years. You know I don't wear my heart on my sleeve."
"Tell me something then," Casey pleaded. "I know you're not fine, but you're still lying to me."
"I said I wasn't okay but that I would be fine," Nika retorted.
"I can't help you if you don't talk to me," Casey said, her voice trembling.
"What do you want me to say, Case?" Nika asked, her voice rising. "That I was scared shitless? I was. But I did what I had to do. I've been under a lot of stress during this whole thing, and I fucking broke, okay? I don't need a goddamn shrink, I need for this to be over. Is that so hard to understand?" Casey stared, mouth agape. Nika shook her head with a frustrated snort.
"I'm just trying to help," Casey said quietly.
"Yeah, well, maybe I don't need your fucking help," Nika snapped, instantly regretting it. "Casey, I'm sorry."
"No, no," she stammered, getting to her feet. "Maybe you're right." Nika sighed, Casey sniffling as she gathered her things. "You've got a job, a dog, neighbors who care about you. Maybe you don't need me."
"Casey—"
"Captain Brass will call tomorrow and let you know how the arraignment went," Casey continued, going to the door and pulling it open.
"Casey—"
"And Nick asked me to tell you they couldn't have done it without you," she finished, her voice cracking. "I'll still call every now and then, okay? Take care, sweetie." The door slammed, and Nika swore, dodging the chair as she jogged to the door and yanked it open, Shasta on her heels.
"Casey!" A car pulling out of the drive and down the street was the only answer. "Shit." Ignoring trembling hands, she went back in the house, locking the door behind her. She just stood there for a moment, chewing on her lip. A moment later, Shasta moved out of her way as she went to the kitchen counter, snatching up the phone. After getting information from 69 and committing the number to memory, she dialed, trembling as the phone rang once, twice…
Stokes.
"Nick, it's Annika Shaughnessy," she said hurriedly. "Casey left."
What?
"We got in an argument and she left. I'm fine, I… I just… she was really upset when she left, and I don't know if she'll get home okay," Nika blurted.
Okay, calm down. Are you alone? Nick asked.
"Yeah, besides Shasta. But we got the door fixed today, so I'm fine. Double panes, treated, locked. Front door's locked. I'm fine," Nika insisted.
Okay, here's what I'm going to do, Nick said. Captain Brass and I will go out to Casey's and make sure she's okay. I'll send Warrick with a uniformed officer to wait with you until we get this sorted out, okay?
"I'm fine, Nick, just check on Casey," Nika said.
Humor me, willya? His voice held a smile, and she rolled her eyes. Give us a few minutes to get there, okay? She finally gave in and agreed, plopping on the couch, Shasta occupying her lap.
xxx
Warrick.
"I just got to sleep, man," Warrick groaned, rolling over to look at the clock. Seven at night. "What is it?"
Casey left Nika alone. Argument, evidently. Warrick was awake now, already reaching for yesterday's jeans. Brass and I are heading over to Casey's to make sure she gets home okay. Nika said she was really upset.
"I'll grab a uniform on the way. Head over to Nika's," Warrick said, switching his phone to speaker to pull on a clean shirt.
I'll give you a ring when I know something.
"Same," Warrick said, flipping the phone shut to pull on his shoes. As he slid his wallet into his pocket and snatched his keys, he dialed the precinct, identifying himself and requesting an officer meet him while he pulled his door closed and locked it, taking the stairs two at a time down to the parking lot. He drove like a bat out of hell, hopping out of the Tahoe just as the uniform was pulling up to the curb in a black and white.
"What's goin' on?" the officer asked.
"We got a witness in here, she's blind," Warrick explained. "Had a run-in with the suspect yesterday in a lineup."
"How'd she do a lineup if she's blind?" the officer – his shirt said Rizzo – asked.
"Face to face," Warrick said. Officer Rizzo let out a low whistle. "Yeah, so we don't want her alone." Rizzo nodded. "Her friend, caretaker, I guess, left a while ago. Argument," Warrick explained. "We're just trying to make sure everyone's okay."
"What do you need from me?"
"I'm going to get some information here," Warrick said. "I want you to stay at the door until we get this taken care of. Figure out what's what."
"Sure thing." Warrick nodded, and Rizzo followed him up the walk. Warrick knocked twice, smirked at Shasta's quiet woof, and waited as the locks turned. "Hey there," he said quietly. Nika immediately smiled. "This is Officer Rizzo," he said, and Nika nodded, reaching out. Warrick sent Rizzo a look, silently telling him to stand still, as Nika found his face and 'saw' him in her way. Rizzo blinked a few times, but didn't say anything. "He's going to sit outside until we get this sorted out."
"I told you—"
"I know," he said, nodding to Rizzo, who pulled up a square of porch and sat to keep watch. "You're fine." Rizzo allowed himself a quiet chuckle as the door shut behind him.
"There's lemonade in the fridge. Beer. Help yourself," she said, gesturing toward the kitchen. He stood in the entryway, looking around the house. She'd cleaned up a bit, or someone had. Her beige couches were empty except for Nika, Shasta, and a few pillows, and the matching chair that had been toppled last he'd seen was righted, put back in its place. No coffee table, barstools pushed in under the breakfast bar, kitchen table clear, and patio door replaced. He stepped into the kitchen, walking to the door to check it out. "Jason put that in this morning," she said. "Said it was double paned and treated to make it stronger." She smirked. "Did he lie to me?"
"No, it's a good door," Warrick said, turning back to her. "Wanna tell me what happened?"
"Not really." Warrick nodded, taking up the chair across from Nika. She sighed, stroking Shasta's head, the dog's chin propped on her thigh. "It was just an argument. She was mad because I wasn't spilling my guts about how I was feeling and what I was thinking. I called her on it." She shook her head. "Both of us said shit we didn't mean, and she left."
"And then what?"
"I came back inside, locked the door, and called Nick," Nika said.
"How'd you know his number?"
"Well, since no one seems to print their business cards in Braille," she said with a smile, "I remembered he'd called when I woke up. Talked to Casey. No one called after that so—"
"Star sixty-nine," Warrick guessed. Nika nodded. "Nice." She shrugged.
"Have you heard from Captain Brass yet?"
"No, not yet," Warrick said, checking to make sure his phone was still clipped to his belt.
"She should be home by now," Nika said quietly.
"She may have gone out, you know," Warrick said gently. "Clear her head."
"I don't know," Nika shrugged. "Maybe."
"Why would she just run off like that? Did she usually bail during an argument?" Warrick asked, rubbing his forehead.
"I told you. We both said some things we didn't mean, and it upset her. Pissed her off, maybe. Hurt her, I don't know," Nika sounded slightly defensive. "But it's not the first time we had a disagreement."
"Hmm." Nika raised a brow, but didn't say anything, instead sighing and standing, Shasta letting out a displeased sound but settling down when Nika patted her on the head.
"Get you something?" Nika asked, heading into the kitchen.
"I'm fine, thanks," Warrick roared through a yawn.
"Nick woke you, huh?" Warrick only grunted his agreement, watching her pop the top off a beer bottle, dropping it in the trashcan. "Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"You always babysit your witnesses?" He blinked a few times, taken aback by that.
"No…"
"So when I told Nick I was fine and didn't need a babysitter he sent you anyway because…?" Nika shook her head a little, feigning confusion.
"Because you're a witness and we don't know if this thing is going to trial yet," Warrick said firmly. "This guy does have access to a phone call. Could call a buddy or something. And if the judge sets bail if he doesn't plead guilty tomorrow, he'll be out." Nika blinked quickly.
"Good answer," she mumbled.
"You're not going to be alone for any extended period of time, and that's standard procedure," Warrick said. "Especially in a case like this."
"Meaning what, exactly?"
"When the suspect doesn't finish the job, and I'm leaving it at that," Warrick said, his voice dropping a bit in pitch. She flinched, then covered by taking a sip of her beer, setting it on the end table next to her.
"You know, I didn't always assume people treated me like a China doll until this happened," she said quietly, playing in Shasta's fur. "And I guess I'm taking it harder than I normally would." She heard Warrick lean forward in his chair. "Was he planning to kill me?"
"I don't know," Warrick said. She nodded, her face falling a little. "But judging from his criminal record, he probably could be capable of it." She pursed her lips, then took another swig of beer.
"And because I'm a woman who's been victimized, who's blind on top of it, means I get to have a cop on my porch until this thing is over," she said quietly.
"Because you're a victim," Warrick said. "Period." She nodded a little, turning toward the window, her lip quivering a bit. Warrick clicked his tongue, standing to crouch right in front of her, taking her hand in his. Shasta perked up for a moment, but rested her head in Nika's lap again a second later. "You remember that conversation we had out on that bench?" Nika nodded.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she whispered, shaking her head. "I never get like this."
"You know what? It's not a big deal," Warrick said, his voice soothing. She turned her face toward him, brow arched.
"Yeah, being a complete and total bitch to someone who's bending over backwards to find out who beat the shit out of me isn't a big deal. What planet did you just step off?" she asked with a snicker. Warrick smiled.
"Listen, it's normal for people who are used to taking care of themselves and leading a normal, routine life to get angry when that's interrupted. We see it all the time," Warrick said. She shrugged, a tear breaking free.
"How did the, uh, sketch work out?" she asked, clearing her throat.
"Don't know yet. Yvette had something come up and she's not quite done yet. She's going to meet us before the arraignment tomorrow morning." She nodded.
"And if she doesn't finish it in time?"
"She will," Warrick assured her. Nika nodded, and Warrick's phone beeped. He let go of her hand, standing up to answer the phone. "Brown… yeah, okay… keep me posted."
"What's going on?"
"Brass is going to drive around Casey's neighborhood and look for her. They're getting restless," he answered.
"I don't know where else she could have gone," Nika sighed, rubbing her forehead. "She doesn't drink, wouldn't go to a restaurant if she'd been crying…"
"She could just be driving around," Warrick reminded her. "Don't start jumping to conclusions." She managed a small smile.
"You always go this far out of your way?" she asked quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"You could have just sent uniforms out to check on us, you know," she suggested, "but you and Nick and Captain Brass came out yourselves." Warrick took a breath, but paused, so she continued: "Obviously it's not time for your shift, and I can't imagine business being slow enough to not have anything better to do than this."
"Case isn't wrapped up yet, so we're not back on rotation," Warrick said with a shrug, brushing a chunk of hair out of her eyes. "And it's not often we get to work with the living, so we take extra care to make sure they stay that way when we do," he said, watching her smile lightly.
"You have an explanation for everything, it seems," she mused, smiling at the low, barely-there chuckle he gave her.
"Why do I suddenly feel like I need a lawyer for this interrogation?" he joked, receiving a wider smile.
"You've had several opportunities to pawn me off on someone else – have Nick take me somewhere or sit with me while I had be at the police department for whatever reason, or just let a uniform handle it, but you didn't. Nick could have come here and you could have gone to look for Casey, but you're here," she said, shaking her head a little. "You walked around a store with me, while I sniffed every kind of soap in existence." His smile slowly fell. "What gives?"
"I'm not sure what you're asking me," he said, but she noticed his pause.
"You're a crime scene investigator, not a detective, right?"
"The line's blurry," he said.
"And rather than going through the evidence with your partner and talking to other people involved in the case, you spent almost every minute… with me." The noise that came from Warrick's throat didn't seem to make Nika feel any better, and she sighed, shaking her head. "Forgive my hopefulness," she said with a shrug. "It's harder to read people's intentions when you don't have access to the window to the soul." Warrick couldn't help but smile. "Shasta, up," she said, tapping the dog's shoulder with her beer bottle, waiting until she was freed from the dog's grasp to stand and return to the kitchen. Warrick kept her in sight. "You know, I have a phone. If you'd rather, you can leave the officer out front and give me a ring when you hear something about Casey," She said, pouring her beer into the sink and opting for water. Warrick noticed her method of measuring the amount of water in a cup and smiled a little.
"You're kicking me out?"
"No, I'm saying you can leave when you want to. I'm fine here with my locks, dog, and security guard," She said simply.
"So you're inviting me to leave."
"No, I'm saying there's no reason for you to feel obligated to stay here when you could be at home asleep before going back to work later tonight," she said.
"I'm not in a hurry," he said with a shrug.
"Not in a hurry to catch up after pulling several double shifts?" she pressed, brow arched.
"You've got a wicked eyebrow," he said.
"What?" she asked with a laugh.
"That eyebrow," he said, taking a few steps forward to run his thumb over the brow in question. "Challenge, huh?" She just blinked. "Does that every time you think you got me beat."
"Mind of it's own," she said with a shrug, pulling her face from his hand to take a sip of water. "But you're dodging."
"You're right," he said. A flash of a satisfied smirk appeared for a split second, but was gone. "Remember what I said about the bourbon and visit with Shasta?"
"You could arrange it?"
"And the bourbon?"
"It would have to wait until the case wraps," she said slowly.
"Mm-hmm." She felt his eyes on her and swallowed nervously, licking her lips. She didn't jump when he tucked her hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek with his thumb, but she did shiver, and she did hear his quiet chuckle. He wasn't laughing at her though.
"And that's why you're dodging," she said quietly. At that moment, his phone buzzed again, and he sighed, ruffling her hair. She cleared her throat, sipping her water and moving away from Warrick as he answered it, returning to the couch to sit with Shasta.
"They found Casey," Warrick said quietly, leaning against the breakfast bar.
"She's okay, right?"
"Yeah, she's fine. Upset, but fine." Nika nodded slowly. "Said she just wanted to be left alone."
"She'll come out of it," Nika said after a beat. "We'll work it out." Warrick nodded, clipping his phone back in place on his belt. "Now what?" She felt him standing next to her, and closed her eyes as he ran his fingers through her hair.
"Now I'm going to take you up on that offer to go home and get some sleep." Nika nodded slowly. "And I'll stop by after the hearing tomorrow morning and let you know how it went."
"You could just call, you know," she said, turning her face toward him.
"I could." His voice was closer than she expected, giving her a better idea of where he was, and she turned her head some more, a little more slowly. She pulled away from him a little when her cheek touched his, but he followed, his hand meeting her other cheek to trap her. "But I don't want to just call," he said. She smiled, and he mirrored it. Her smile deepened as she traced the lines in his cheeks. "I'll see you tomorrow." She nodded, pulling away a little, but their hands remained where they were. "The, uh, uniform's gonna stay here," he added. "At the door. He'll call in a replacement in the morning."
"I figured," she said with a smirk.
"Sweet dreams," Warrick whispered." She nodded, and he pulled away. A moment later she heard the door close and voices outside. Shasta grumbled a little bit, shifting on the couch.
"Yeah, I like him, too," she said, scratching Shasta behind the ears. Shasta only picked up her head, giving Nika a quick lick on the chin.