Illusions
Author: Jess
A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews. I love that you are enjoying the story and they sure do make my day. Special thanks to my betas, Rouch, who makes sure they're all in character, and CSI4nsicAce for making sure my grammar is correct.
Disclaimer: I looked in my wallet, and I still don't have enough to buy the rights to CSI.
Chapter Twenty
Time stopped. No, it was more like the synapses in her brain that allowed her to function had ceased functioning properly. Nothing she heard or saw was being processed. All that mattered at that moment were her senses of smell, touch and taste. Only they were able to process what was happening. She tasted mint, Blue Hawaiian and another substance that she was unable to identify. 'I suppose I'll need to conduct further experiments to figure it out,' she thought, inwardly smiling.
His beard was rough, scratching her skin. At some point his hands had moved to her neck, massaging the back and sides of it. All she could do was cling to his shoulders, tightly gripping the shirt's material, as the kiss deepened.
They broke apart and time started again. The sounds of traffic became audible and Sara Sidle could see people walking down the street. She looked out the window, breathing unsteadily as she tried to catch her breath and understand what had just happened. It had been a very uncharacteristic Grissom moment. She turned to Grissom and wondered briefly if he regretted it.
He leaned into the driver seat, his eyes closed, his breathing shallow, and his face impassive. She bit her lip and prepared herself for his next words. She didn't know what she would do if he said he was sorry.
"A kiss is a lovely trick designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous," Grissom stated without opening his eyes. "Ingrid Bergman."
Sara pursed her lips in confusion as she mulled over his words. Then, she glared playfully at him and hit him on the arm. "Is that your way of saying I was over talking?" she asked, incredulously.
Grissom turned towards her a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. She laughed aloud and playfully punched his arm again, her laughter dying as he opened his eyes. They were full of sadness. She looked at him questioningly and he smiled at her. "I missed your laugh," he finally told her.
"So did I," she replied.
The ringing of his cell phone interrupted Grissom's response. He gave her an apologetic look before answering it. She watched him frown as he listened to the call. "We're on our way," he finished and flipped the phone shut.
"That was Brass," he informed her. "He was wondering where we're at."
"I suppose we should get to the scene," Sara murmured. "I'm sorry that we're going to be--"
"You're over-talking again," Grissom said and turned the ignition on.
She laughed. "Shutting up now," she said.
"Good," Grissom replied. "Don't make me pull this car over again."
Sara laughed again cherishing the playful side of Grissom that she hadn't experienced for a long time.
'Succulent, luscious, delectable…' Grissom mentally tallied the words used to describe Sara's mouth. Unconsciously, he licked his lips as he glanced at her in the passenger seat. She was facing her window, lost in her own thoughts, as they silently drove to Christine McGraw's residence. He focused his attention back on the road and fought back the smile that was threatening to consume him.
He had been shocked by his own behavior. Never in a million years would he have expected to pull the Denali over and kiss Sara Sidle. Imagined, dreamed, yearned to do so, but actually carrying out the action wasn't possible. There were far too many obstacles, mostly his own cowardice, which needed to be overcome. He had been so afraid that once he had committed to the action, she would pull back from him and realize that he was too old for her, that she could do so much better. Only now was he beginning to realize she would never think those things.
Merging into the next lane, Grissom was reminded of something Tao Tzo had written, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength while loving someone deeply gives you courage." When Ecklie had broken the team up, it had ripped him apart. Catherine had been right about a family forming around him. The team was his family, and losing them had hurt. He had a feeling he would have simply walked away from the lab had Sara not still been a part of his team. Her constant presence allowed him to continue working.
He shook his head to clear away the somber thoughts and turned onto Oregon Way. Pulling the Denali into the driveway, he looked at Sara.
She smiled at him as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "Ready when you are," she said, waiting for him to leave the vehicle.
Grissom nodded and turned off the ignition. The two exited the vehicle and removed their field kits from the back. Grissom nodded in greeting to Brass and looked to the other officer waiting at the front door. "Officer Choi is going to stay with you," Brass informed them. "Christine McGraw's brother is coming into the station, so I need to get back."
"What was he able to tell you?" Sara asked.
"Not much," Brass answered. "He confirmed what Mrs. Pirotta told us earlier; Christine is supposed to be in the French Riviera. He hasn't spoken to his sister in a couple of weeks, but he wasn't concerned. He's bringing in her itinerary so we can check with the airlines."
"He won't be able to give a visual confirmation of her body, Jim," Grissom said. "Her body was too badly decomposed, and the insects did a thorough job."
Brass nodded. "Dr. Robbins is obtaining her dental records," he replied as he handed the officer a set of keys and then looked at the two CSIs. "Mrs. Pirotta handed over the spare keys Ms. McGraw had given her."
"Have fun," he added and walked to his car.
Sara and Grissom looked at one another, wondering if the records would be a match to their Jane Doe or if this search would be a waste of time. "One sec," Sara said as the officer reached to open the door.
She knelt down and opened her kit, removing fingerprint powder and a brush. Thoroughly inspecting the knob for prints, she was able to reveal two partials. Using the digital camera, she recorded the prints and then tape lifted them off, scribbling her signature and the case information on the evidence bag. "Ready," she said as she closed her kit and stood up.
Officer Choi nodded and unlocked the door. The officer opened the door, his hand on his holster, ready for anything that might lie inside. "This is Officer Choi, with the Las Vegas police department," the man yelled. "We have a warrant to search the premises."
Silence was their only answer. The two CSIs hung back as the officer checked the house. "All clear," he informed as he exited the house.
Grissom nodded and he and Sara entered the house, the officer following behind them. Choi stopped at the entrance to the living room and readied himself for a couple of hours of standing and watching. Grissom walked into the room, looking for any sign of disturbance or anything out of the ordinary.
Sara passed him, made her way into the kitchen, placed her kit down, and opened the refrigerator. "Baking soda, mustard, ketchup," she listed to herself. She turned to Grissom. "Her fridge doesn't have anything perishable in it."
She closed the refrigerator and looked around for the trashcan. Opening it, she found it empty except for the trash bag. "Her trash is empty," she continued.
Grissom nodded and walked into the master bedroom. He opened different dresser drawers, only finding a few garments in them. He walked to the closet and opened the door. He sighed as he saw the numerous empty clothes hangers.
"Maybe she really is in the Riviera," Sara said hopefully, standing beside him. "Fridge is empty, trash is empty, and her closet and drawers are almost empty. It does seem as though she is traveling."
Grissom frowned and looked around the room. He walked over to the young woman's bed and focused his attention on the answering machine that rested on the bedside table. He pushed the outgoing message button. "Hi guys, its Christy. I'm going incommunicado for a couple of weeks, blowing off some steam in the Riviera. Email me," the young woman's upbeat voice engulfed the room.
"It doesn't sound coerced," Sara stated.
Grissom nodded and removed the machine. "We'll have Archie do his magic," he replied and placed it into an evidence bag.
Sara nodded. A look of confusion spread across her face before she reached into her pocket, removing her vibrating cell phone. "Sidle," she answered.
He watched her listen to the call, her facial expression resigned as she listened. "Thanks," she said and ended the call. She looked at him, an emptiness in her eyes that he wanted to wash away, and continued, "That was Dr. Robbins. Dental records confirm it's Christine McGraw."
The two cast glances at the master bathroom and then at one another. Without a word, they walked to it, Grissom removing the ALS from his kit. A quick sweep showed that there was no blood present. The two left the room and entered the guest bathroom, repeating the process and obtaining the same results.
"I'm not surprised," Grissom said, a frown settling onto his face. "The others weren't killed at their residences."
"There's no sign of any type of struggle," Sara observed. "It looks like she was packed and ready to go. She just never made it to the airport."
Grissom nodded and placed the ALS back into his kit.
"So, her bags are packed, she's ready to go," Sara continued. "Dr. Doyle picks her up and takes her where? Back to his place?"
Grissom shook his head. "We need to get a warrant for his house," he stated. "Unfortunately, we need proof that he was the last one with her."
"And Mrs. Pirotta's statement that Dr. Doyle was supposed to take her won't amount to much," Sara said. "She always could have taken a cab."
She watched Grissom sigh and felt an overwhelming urge to touch him. His presence gave her so much comfort and confidence when they worked together. Their close proximity to one another helped stir other emotions as well, ones that were not appropriate while working. She quickly squelched the feeling, reminding herself to behave professionally. "Bedroom or kitchen?" he asked her.
"I get a choice?" she asked, faking astonishment.
"For being a smartass you get the kitchen," Grissom said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she muttered and started walking away. "You just want to check out my ass."
She stopped in shock as she heard him reply, "Well, it is a rather fine specimen."
Turning around, she watched him reenter the bedroom, a small smile on his face. Sara shook her head and proceeded on to the kitchen.
Sara Sidle rolled her head, trying to relieve the kinks, as she grabbed the last bag of evidence from the back of the Denali. 'Zilch. Nada. Nothing,' she moaned in her head as she closed the door. She and Grissom had failed to uncover any evidence from the scene except for a few fingerprints, sheets with some DNA, and the answering machine.
Entering the crime lab, she nodded in greeting to Mia, who was talking to Sofia, and continued her trek to the Evidence room. She groaned as her arm was grabbed, and she was pulled into the Trace lab. "People really need to stop doing that!" Sara yelled, annoyance evident in her voice.
"Well, if you don't want to know what I found…" Hodges replied and gestured to the door.
"Might as well tell me since I'm already here," she said.
Hodges nodded and motioned to the microscope. Sara walked over and looked at the fiber. "It's vicuna," he said. "Like the other two."
"You couldn't have just called?" she asked exasperatedly as she looked at him.
"There's more," Hodges said and pulled her towards the computer. "Not all the fibers you collected were vicuna."
"Oh?" Sara asked her curiosity piqued.
"Mixed in the sample was cat hair," Hodges stated. "To be more specific, a Russian White. The breed was created in Australia when scientists bred a Russian blue and a white domestic shorthair together."
"Okay," she said, willing him to get to the point.
"Anyway," he continued and clicked something on the screen, causing the printer to start up. "They are very rare in the United States. There are currently only five certified Russian Whites, and only one in the state of Nevada."
Hodges removed the printout and handed it to her. "Qetesh," he said. "Her owner is a Dr. William Doyle."
Sara read the paper, a smile spreading across her face. "Thanks, Hodges," she said and left the office.
She quickly logged in her evidence before proceeding to Grissom's office with the news. "You'll never guess what Hodges found," Sara said as she entered the office.
"Hi, Brass," she said in greeting to the Captain and sat in the unoccupied seat.
Grissom nodded for her to continue. "Vicuna, like we expected, but there was cat hair mixed in with the fibers," Sara said.
"Cat hair?" Grissom asked. "There was no trace of a cat in that house."
"Christine McGraw doesn't own a cat," Sara answered, handing the report to him. "But, Dr. Doyle does. A Russian white, extremely rare. There are only five registered in the US, only one in Nevada."
"Add that in with what the brother gave us, and we might have enough for a warrant," Brass said.
"What did the brother give us?" Sara asked wanting to be brought into the loop.
"He provided her itinerary," Brass said. "I did some digging, and she never checked into her flight or her hotel, which makes sense since she is currently housed in the morgue."
She nodded. "He also gave us this," Brass said and pointed to the cassette player in Grissom's hand. "This is the last message he received from his sister. He was golfing and the machine picked up when she called."
Grissom pushed play, and the three listened to the phone call. "Hi, Alex," Christine's voice sounded joyful. "It's your sister. I'm calling to let you know that I'm off. Finally taking that vacation I always dreamed of!"
"Christine, are you ready?" Dr. Doyle's voice could be heard in the background.
"Coming, William," Christine continued and laughed. "Will's taking me to the airport. I'll call you at some point. Give my love to Debbie and the girls. I'll bring back lots of gifts."
Grissom pushed the stop button. "We still need to electronically confirm that it's his voice," he said.
"Why did the brother still have the message?" Sara asked.
"He had called the phone and left a message about his golf score," Brass replied in mild amusement. "He kept the tape for bragging privileges."
Sara shook her head, "Men."
"I'm going to see Judge Hughes," Brass said. "He should grant a warrant for what we have."
The CSIs nodded in acknowledgement as he left. Sara looked at Grissom and smiled. "That's about all I can do at this point. I'm going to go over the evidence from the shootout Sofia and I are working," she explained and rose.
"I'll let you know when I hear from Brass," Grissom said.
She nodded and exited the office, a bounce in her step because they finally might be nearing the end of the case.
Sara walked down the hall, scanning the case file from their robbery. She was so caught up in the murder investigation that she wanted to make sure she wasn't going to miss anything on her other case. "I got your page," Sara told the woman sitting behind the desk as she entered the fingerprint lab.
Jacqui looked up from the fingerprint card and smiled. "I was able to get a print off of the receipt from the 419 at the 7-11," she said and flipped through a set of printouts beside her.
Finding the one she needed, she handed it to Sara and continued, "It's a match to a Michael Tamondong. He was in AFIS for a conviction of armed robbery."
"Thanks," Sara said as she looked over the document.
"I sent the receipt to Ronnie," Jacqui continued. "He's trying his magic on it."
Sara nodded. "You're the best," she told her and left the office, heading towards Questioned Documents to see what Ronnie was able to find.
She removed her cell phone, scrolled for Sofia's number, and hit send. After hearing the blonde's greeting, Sara began, "Hey, its Sara. Jacqui got a hit off of a print from the receipt. I'm on my way to QD to see what Ronnie has. Has Archie contacted you about the surveillance footage?"
"He was still working on it last I checked," Sofia replied. "I'm in the field. Call me if we get anything else."
"Will do," Sara said and closed the phone.
She entered the Questioned Documents room and smiled brightly at Ronnie. "What do you have for me?" she asked.
"The time stamp was 1:12 a.m., and it has today's date," Ronnie said. "The blood on the receipt made it unreadable to the naked eye, but I was able to perform some magic for you. A cigarette lighter, one bag of Doritos, and a water were bought using cash."
"Thanks, Ronnie," Sara said and exited the lab.
She continued her trek through the crime lab's hallway and entered the Audio/Visual lab. Archie sat in front of one of the lab's computer screens, analyzing video from the 7-11. He looked back at her and nodded in greeting. "I was just about to page you," he said and turned his attention back to the screen.
He rewound the tape and let it play. Sara took note of the 1:13 a.m. time stamp on the bottom of the screen. The parking lot appeared empty for a few seconds, followed by the victim exiting the store, cramming bills into his wallet. A second later, two men exited the store, one carrying a store bag, and walked up to the victim. There was a round of pushing, which led to a gun being brandished by the man with the bag. The bag was dropped to the ground, spilling its contents. The victim started towards the store, but could be seen falling to the ground. The shooter removed the wallet as the other man grabbed the contents of the bag and then ran out of the camera's view, the other quickly following.
"Can you get me close-ups of their faces?" Sara asked, squinting her eyes at the fuzzy picture.
"Already done," Archie said and handed her a printout.
She looked at the two faces and removed Jacqui's printout. The shooter was Michael Tamondong. "Thanks, Archie," she said, smiling.
Archie nodded and went back to work. Sara exited the lab and pulled out her phone again, scrolled for Detective Vartann's number, and pressed send. "Hey, it's CSI Sidle," she stated after he answered. "The video showed Michael Tamondong as the shooter. He's been convicted of armed robbery before. There was another man with him at the time. I'm going to have Judy fax the information over to you." She listened to him acknowledge the findings before hanging up. She stopped at reception, handed Judy the printouts, scribbled a note for Vartann, and handed it to Judy. "Can you fax this to the precinct, care of Detective Vartann?" she asked.
Upon confirmation, Sara turned, a small grin playing on her lips. It turned to a full blown smile when she caught sight of Brass entering the lab. He waved a warrant at her and smiled. "We got it," he said.
