Appreciation by SLynn
Summary: An art heist, an arsonist and a lot of angst. Takes place approximately four months after the end of 'Precious Things' This is the fifth in a series. Greg/Sara and Nick/OC
Spoilers: Up to 'Nesting Dolls'
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing and will return them all when I'm done, virtually untouched.
Chapter 3: Connections
By the time they'd gotten there the real excitement was over.
The bomb, apparently a fake, had been set in the foyer of the casino where it had stayed until the casino manager had noticed it and called the cops. The building, one of the largest casinos in Vegas, had to then be evacuated.
That in itself was a feat.
No one had panicked, everyone had done as they were instructed, but it still took longer then it should have.
During this time an alarm sounded.
Largely it was ignored because it wasn't the only one; most of the guards assumed it had been tripped accidentally at an emergency exit. It wasn't until after the bomb squad arrived and determined it was a fake did they notice that it was still going and that it had nothing to do with doors being left open.
This alarm was coming from the art gallery.
The Bellagio had one of the best galleries in Vegas. It was continuously rotating in and out new exhibits for its visitors and guests alike. All of them beautiful and all of them rare. Most of them on loan from various galleries around the country. Right now there were three main exhibits: a collection of surrealists' paintings, a collection of impressionists' paintings and a display of local artists work.
Greg and Charlie split company in the lobby, Charlie joining Brass in interviewing the casino manager and the owner. Greg met with Warrick who was apparently waiting for him.
"Glad you made it," Warrick said leading the way.
"It wasn't easy," Greg returned with a smile, "What have we got?"
"We'll be in the art gallery," Warrick said explaining the situation as they went. "Grissom and Sara are talking with the curator now. She's pretty worked up, wants to do an inventory right away. We don't know what's gone yet."
Greg nodded and let out a whistle as he took in the place.
"You know I've never been here," he said shaking his head.
"Didn't know you were into art," Warrick said as he too took it in.
"A little," Greg admitted, "I took some classes in college."
Greg stopped in front of one painting that took up an entire wall.
"Man," he said tilting his head and staring, "I didn't know they had Dali's."
"Come on," Warrick said pressing him gently, "You'll have lots of time to gawk later, now we have to work."
Greg nodded and reluctantly moved away. Likely he'd have plenty of time to 'gawk'. As big as this place was it was going to take all day and night to process.
Dr. Stewart really was in a state.
Grissom and Sara, the first two on the scene, had been questioning her for some time before they could really get any good information from her. She apologized, assured them that she wasn't normally this way, but they had to understand that the gallery contained some pieces deemed priceless.
Sara assured her as best she could that they did in fact understand her dilemma and that they would do everything they could to help.
"I'm assuming this gallery has surveillance?" Grissom asked her and she nodded, looking relieved.
"I forgot," she said letting the first smile they'd seen from her pass to her lips, "How… I forgot. We've never had anything…well, I've only been here a month but I've been told we've never had anything like this happen before. Let me show you to the surveillance room."
She quickly made her way from her office and down a long corridor. Sara marveled at how fast she was, especially in heels, but figured that with her job she had years of practice. Dr. Stewart was the first woman curator the Bellagio had ever had. She was also the youngest at thirty-seven. It was impressive.
"Looks like Kenny hasn't come back yet," she said unlocking the door and sitting down at the huge console. There were at least thirty monitors on the wall before them each showing a different spot in the gallery.
Grissom and Sara both spotted Greg and Warrick on one of them and Dr. Stewart zoomed in the picture.
"Are those two with you?" she asked looking back up to Grissom.
"Yes," he confirmed with a nod, "That is CSI Brown and CSI Sanders."
Dr. Stewart let the image linger for a moment longer, it tight on both their faces before she returned it to normal.
"I only know how to operate all of this at a very basic level," she said after a moment, "but our technician, Kenny, can get you all the tapes you need."
"Why don't we do a walk thru?" Sara suggested, "That way if you see something missing we can fingerprint the area right away."
"Excellent," she said standing.
The three of them began their tour and if the circumstances had been different it might have been enjoyable. Dr. Stewart would occasionally remark about specific paintings, mostly out of relief to find them still there. So far all of their most valuable ones remained.
They eventually ran into Greg and Warrick who, without any place to start, were printing the emergency exits and other doors they came across.
"Hey Grissom," Warrick said turning round as he'd heard them approach.
"Warrick this is Dr. Stewart she's the curator here," Grissom said introducing her.
"Nice to meet you," Warrick said with a warm smile.
Greg turned around now too and paused.
"Greg this is…"
"No need," Dr. Stewart said cutting Grissom off, "I know Greg."
For a moment no one moved. It was suddenly very tense between the five of them and only Dr. Stewart seemed unaffected.
"I didn't know you worked here," Greg finally said having to say something, forcing a smile to his face.
"I didn't know you changed professions," she returned giving him a much easier smile.
Greg looked down quickly before looking back to her. If it were possible he would have melted into the floor. This was just bad. There was no other way to describe it. Just bad.
Worse, they were all looking at him now, waiting for some sort of explanation. And they could keep waiting as far as he was concerned because he was done talking.
Grissom recovered quickest and suggested they keep on moving through the gallery. Dr. Stewart agreed but not before saying goodbye to both men and soon the two of them began to walk away. Sara stayed a moment longer, still looking at Greg, meeting his eye just long enough to let him see her surprise before rejoining Grissom and the doctor.
As soon as they were out of earshot Warrick let out a low chuckle and patted Greg on the shoulder.
"I thought you said you'd never been here before," Warrick chided after a minute or more of silence.
"I haven't."
"Then how…."
"Let's just work, okay?"
Warrick nodded and let it go. For now.
Nearly an hour later Nick finally arrived.
"What'd I miss?" he asked finding Greg and Warrick still printing doors.
"About four thousand prints on this door alone," Greg deadpanned, some of his humor returning despite his little run-in.
"Yeah and the guy probably wore gloves," Warrick grumbled along side him.
"They find out what's missing yet?" Nick asked.
"So far nothing," Greg said dropping his brush and giving himself a break. "Well, nothing valuable."
Nick looked at him confused.
"The only painting missing so far is one from the local collection," Warrick supplied.
"So what they stole a worthless painting?"
"Yeah," Greg said flatly clearly not amused.
The situation would amuse him if he wasn't the one wasting his time dusting one of a dozen doors, each touched a hundred times a day, in an effort to find the moron who stole a piece of junk.
"So who plans such an elaborate heist and doesn't do all their homework?" Nick asked and he did sound amused.
"Are you going to help us are you just going to stand there asking stupid questions?" Warrick questioned with a hint of sarcasm in his voice.
"I'm just thinking."
"Well work while you think," Greg put in and then pointed across the room, "We haven't gotten to that one."
Nick didn't argue with them, just smiled and shook his head as he took his case over to the new set of doors. They continued to work in silence for another twenty minutes until Nick saw that Greg had joined him obviously finished with the last.
"I need to talk to you."
Nick looked over at Greg unsure if he'd heard him correctly. It hadn't been much louder then a whisper and Greg was still looking at his door working at finding and lifting prints.
Before Nick could ask him what he'd meant Greg turned his head just slightly enough for Nick to get the idea. He wanted to talk to him about something and he didn't want Warrick to know it.
Not sure what the secret was, Nick kept working and looking straight ahead before asking him 'what'.
"I know someone here."
"Are they a suspect?"
Greg took his time answering, apparently thinking it over.
"No. I don't think so. This isn't something she'd do."
Nick nodded slightly.
"Does Grissom know?"
It was Greg's turn to nod slightly and once more he checked over his shoulder at Warrick who still had his back to them both.
"If he didn't take you off right away I don't think there's a problem."
Greg let out a breath and nodded again. That's what he thought too, he just needed to hear it from someone else.
"Who do you know here?" Nick asked out of curiosity.
"The curator."
Nick couldn't help but turn to him surprised.
"How?"
Before answering Greg cast one last look in Warrick's direction and then towards the main doors.
"It's Erika," he said forgetting, no longer working or pretending too.
"Erika," Nick repeated trying to place the name.
"From Berkeley."
Nick's eyes got big as the name clicked. Greg hadn't told him all the details of that particular relationship but enough.
"What did she say? What did you say?"
"What was I supposed to say?" Greg asked back, his voice rising a bit. "I was lucky I got anything out. I haven't seen her in years."
"And she's living here?"
"I guess," Greg answered, finally moving back to his job of printing.
Nick looked back to his door as well, shaking his head.
"What are you going to do?" he asked after a minute or more of silence.
"Nothing," Greg returned tightly causing Nick to drop the subject entirely.
And Greg was serious. As far as he was concerned there was nothing to do. Erika was trouble; he'd learned that lesson and did not need a refresher course.
This was one time when he didn't need to fake indifference.