Title: Murder at the Acid Drop
Summary: A murder at the club Acid drop. Gil will lead his team through the investigation to find the evidence that leads to one suspect.
chapter 2
Disclaimer : Unfortunatley...I don't own anything...
Gil closed the screen on his laptop and headed out of his office toward the break room. He had been doing paperwork for almost five hours while his team was in the field and it was time for a break, after pouring himself a cup of coffee and he headed straight back to his office. He had only be sitting for a few minutes when his pager off.
"Grissom." he answered
"Gil..it's Brass, I know you're the only one left but I think you'll want this case. I've got a 419 at the Acid Drop..a club out on.."
Gil cut him off "Yeah, I know where it is , I'll meet you there."
A half an hour later Gil pulled up to the Club, the parking lot was swarming with police officers, paramedics and bystanders.
"Gil" Brass greeted him at his trunk while he was grabbing his kit.
"What do we know?" Gil asked
"We've got a d.b male, early forties, looks like he was hit over the head with a blunt object, but I'm no Doc Robbins so."
Gil nodded " I guess not, I called Greg and Sara they are on their way so.."
Brass cut him off " I thought maybe this time you would leave the processing for them and you could go talk to our only witness at his point."
Gil nodded " Okay well.." he began as he looked past Brass " Catherine?" he spotted her as she was seated on a stretcher. He took one look at Brass and headed toward her.
"Gil?" she replied pressing the ice pack to her forehead, she had a vivid black right eye and a small gash over her left eye.
"Catherine what's going on? Whats happened?"
Catherine shrugged " I don't Gil..they said he's dead..Chris is dead."
"Catherine I need to tell me what happened"
Catherine shook her head " I told you I don't know..I don't..I don't remember."
Gil sighed "Okay.." he turned to the paramedic " Can I ride with her?"
The man nodded but was interrupted by Brass
"I have to ride with her Gil."
Catherine turned to him " No, I want Gil to come with me."
Brass sighed " I can't Catherine you're our only suspect and I.."
"Suspect" Gil cut him off this time " Catherine didn't do this."
"Gil you know I have to do this, I have to treat this like any other homicide" he motioned behind him " You're team is here, go help them, I'll make sure they take care of her and I'll see you back at the station."
Gil nodded " Okay, I'll see you later"
Catherine nodded " Gil he's thinks that I killed him...I didn't Gil, I can't really remember what happened but I know I didn't kill him, "
"Gil nodded " I know Catherine , we'll figure it out. Just go to the hospital and I'll see you soon, I'll be right behind you."
Catherine was getting checked up and stitched up when Gil arrived. Brass stopped him from entering the hospital room.
"Gil" Bras stopped him " What are you doing here, I told you to stay with the team and that you could see her later."
"I have to see her now, Brass, I have to find out what happened."
"Gil " he stopped him again " I don't want to have to arrest you , you can't go in right now."
"Why what's going on? What are they doing to her?"
Brass motioned toward a seat " Gil either you sit or I'll have you taken out of here. Now, you have to calm down so we can can work through this."
Gil sighed " Okay,.. just tell me what's going on!"
"Right now they are stitching up her eye, she had a slight concussion so she's going to probably have to stay the night and..." Brass trailed off
"What Brass! What else..."
"They..they think she was...they think that she was raped Gil, they tested her blood, to explain why she can't remember or why she blacked out..they found traces of GHB in her system and it.."
"The date rape drug...why would..." he paused " Chris.. that bastard, he probably tried something and she was just defending herself."
Brass nodded " Maybe , but you're getting ahead of the evidence, a few witness including his personal waiter said she had a fight with him earlier, we have to get the clues and the witness and we can't do much if she can't remember, the good thing with the drug is that in time she will remember but until then.."
"The good thing? Gil cut him off " That bastard drugged her clearly it was him and he probably raped her too, and all you want to do is pin her for his death so it's easier for you're investigation"
"That's not true, Cath is like a daughter to me..I don't want to have to question her and make her feel like a criminal and a suspect but she was with the body whether she remembers it or not, she's in this until we figure out what happened. Right now you need to think about that, she's going to need you but you can't be there for her right now, and once Ecklie hears about it he will be taking you of the case. I wouldn't doubt it if.." Brass looked up at the sound of his voice " speak of the devil."
"Brass" Ecklie nodded as he approached " Gil..surprise surprise.." he knocked on the hospital room door.
"You can't just walk in there." Gil stopped him
"Mr. Grissom let me remind you who is the head of the lab these days, let me remind you who you are working under."
Brass stood up and blocked him " Give her the privacy she deserves."
Ecklie nodded " Fine..but once she gets back to the lab, I don't want you anywhere near it, this case is not something" he turned to Gil " you'll be working in."
"You right, I do work under you" he snapped " But I don't work for you. You don't outrank me on any scale, the only difference is that you're job title is longer then mine."
"Maybe that's the only reason, whatever it may be I'm in charge and you do as I say, you get off this case. you have other things you could be doing, you're not going to compromise this case, it's time to find out what she's all about, and you're not going to mess with anything."
"I'm not going anywhere." Gil snapped
"Fine" Ecklie snickered " You can stay but you're not on the case, you're on a mandatory vacation, I spoke higher up before coming here, telling them you would surely give me a problem they agreed that a vacation would benefit you."
"You can't keep from doing what I do best" Gil sneered " I'll prove to you she's innocent. You're just looking for a reason to hurt her." he paused when the door opened.
"Mr. Grissom?" the nurse poked her head out " Is there a Mr. Grissom out here?"
Gil stepped up " Yes, I' m Mr. Grissom."
"She's asking for you sir."
Gil nodded and took one last glance at Ecklie.
"Catherine?" he walked slowly inside not sure what to expect.
"I don't want them to touch me Gil." she whispered " Northing's wrong with me, I just..they think that..they think he.."
"Catherine ." he sat next to her " They have their reasons for thinking that you were assaulted sexually. you have to let them do the kit."
"But I feel fine, my head hurts but that's it Gil, I don't want them to ..I don't want the exam to be done, nothing happened to me."
"Someone drugged you Catherine with a drug specifically designed to keep someone from fighting back during the assault."
"But I don't feel...I feel fine Gil, I promise please don't let them do this."
"I can't ..Catherine , I don't have a a say in the matter. If they think is will help you then you should do it.I think it might help."
"Will you stay?"
Gil shrugged " I don't think they will let me." he paused " Ecklie is.."
"Ecklie.is not coming in here.If you can't stay with me then I'm not doing it."
"Okay." he agreed knowing what he should expect but not knowing if he could handle it.
Back in Chris's office Warrick and Sara were processing the crime scene.
"Look what I found." Warrick took a seat in his chair and rummaged through his desk. " Must be over a hundred pills." he held them up. " GHB." I bet they'll find it in her system"
Sara nodded " He drugged her, so we find out how, and why." she paused "I've got a half opened condom wrapper, he didn't get the chance to hurt her, someone must have killed while he was getting prepared."
Warrick nodded and continued rummaging around. " I've got a notepad here, first page ripped off, I'll bag, We'll be able to run the second page, and see what was written here."
"Brass said blunt force was what killed him . Looks like I found our murder weapon." she commented as she lifted the heavy marble pyramid that lay on the floor. It's got blood and hairs, I bet they belong to Chris."
Warrick walked to her "So what do you think?"
Sara sighed " You mean about Cath? As much as we don't get along at times, She's not a killer, self defense is completely different, But I don't want think about that right now. We have to be there for her and Gil the best we can. Ecklie is going to probably try and kick us off the case. He's got it out for Cath and we know if he can pin this on her he will."
"So what should we do?"
"We do what we do, We can't ,make any special decisions or considerations, we work it like any other case."
Warrick nodded " Yeah," he sighed " I'm going to go see what Nick has with the witnesses."
Outside Nick was finishing up with a second witness.The waiter.
Warrick approached him " Nick"
Nick quick turned " Warrick, Did you hear about Cath?"
"No..what did you hear." Warrick replied,
"Nothing, just that she was drugged, Ecklie's on a power trip and Gil was kicked off the case."
Warrick nodded " Any luck with the witnesses?"
Nick shrugged " I tried speaking with Nancy, and the other ladies that were here for the party but she's not...they are pretty intoxicated so, we won't get much from any of them."
"And that guy?" Warrick pointed " The waiter..Wesley Terrington. been working as Chris's personal waiter for about eight months, so he knew Catherine before tonight apparently. Said that Chris instructed him to keep the drinks coming to the table and around 2.a.m he saw Catherine stumbled towards the ladies room and didn't return. He said around three..three thirty he went to check on his boss to see if he could bring him anything and he found Catherine on the floor next to Chris's dead body, he said he bent over them and he thought they were both dead, that's how he got the blood on him. I told him we are going to need his clothes."
Warrick nodded " Sara's finishing up, we should head back to the lab and process for additional prints. Ten minutes?"
Nick nodded " Just waiting for his clothes and we can head back."
Back at the hospital Gil was sitting with Catherine waiting for her immediate results as the others were sent back to the lab with Brass.
"I didn't do it Gil." she whispered breaking the silence.
Gil took her hand in his. " Cath, you have to try and remember."
"I know" she whispered Gil?" she paused " Do you think I killed him?"
Gil sighed " No, I know you didn't , I know you couldn't."
"But I have you know, I've shot my share of people."
"Self defense." he quickly added " You're not a killer and we are going to find out what happened to you."
Catherine nodded feeling her tears fall from her face. " What's going to happen to me?"
Gil sighed " Nothing is going to happen to you."
"What if they don't find anything..." she paused " With the kit. I know nothing happened, but you said it might help...I know this sounds stupid but..I feel.. like..I've been violated."
Gil nodded trying to comfort her. If in fact she was right and she hadn't been assaulted sexually he would have been wrong to make her feel she should have the test. " It's not stupid, you have a right to feel that way." he assured her, all the while feeling guilty
Miss Willows...Mr Grissom, I have some good news," the doctor smiled as he entered the room
TBC