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Chapter 4
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"Dr. Grissom, I presume?"
"Hello, Miriam." Grissom glanced at Archie to make sure the tapes were rolling. Archie gave a thumbs up.
"Is the whole team there?"
"Yes, Miriam, everyone is here."
"Even the lab rat?"
Greg blushed at the reference commonly used to describe him.
"Even Greg," Grissom answered, being cautious. He didn't want her to think he was rushing her.
"Actually, I was referring to Hodges, but it's good that Greg's there, too. More fieldwork will be good for him. He won't be working much in DNA. Wouldn't want him to get bored."
Surprised and worried looks were passed at the thought that she knew them by name and occupation, even personality. Grissom held up a hand and sent a look that said to stay calm and listen.
"If you're ready to ask questions, I'm ready to talk," Miriam prompted.
"I presume the name 'Miriam' was hand chosen for your, uh…"
"Mission?" she finished for him. "Yes, it held a special significance to me."
"I must say, choosing the name of the sister of Moses was clever," Grissom said, spelling it out for the crew.
"I didn't choose it. It was given to me by God to emphasize the importance and divinity of the mission," she said coldly. "But, good work. You've caught on quicker than the others."
At this, Warrick passed a notepad towards Catherine and Nick with the words "Joan of Arc complex" scribbled on it.
"Why the Ten Commandments?" Grissom asked. "Why not the Seven Deadly Sins?"
"I do not question the wisdom of God. I am simply his servant," Miriam answered in good humor. "But I think it's fitting. The Ten Commandments are the very law of God. These blasphemous heathens have flouted that law. The punishment is just and deserving."
Catherine held up a notepad with the word "forgiving" on it. Grissom took the hint.
"But isn't yours a forgiving God?" he asked. "Why go to such an extreme?"
"Because they have turned their back on their Creator!" she exclaimed. "They've had plenty of chances to change their ways. 'The wages of sin is death.' God's word, not mine."
Seeing that she was becoming aggravated, Grissom retreated. "Okay, so how do you choose your victims?"
"I wouldn't call them 'victims' so much as 'the condemned.' They choose to become unclean by committing the sin, and they choose to remain that way by not cleansing themselves. They can't claim lack of knowledge because there's an entire book on laws and atoning for sin."
"Leviticus," Grissom cut in.
"My, you are well read! I'm an instrument of God, being used to carry out justice. To answer your question, however, it is simple research and observation. Kevin Sampson was easy. He was already a suspect in the casino robbery. From his recent spending habits-all in cash- it was obvious he had the money. I only had to find him, which compared to New York and Miami, was easy enough."
"Did you communicate with authorities in other cities?"
"I did, but they didn't catch on. They didn't pay enough attention to detail, so they weren't able to understand."
It was funny… Grissom got the impression that Miriam was slightly disappointed. But before he could ask anything else, she took back control.
"I think that's enough for now."
"What about your message?" Grissom interrupted.
The line was silent for a moment.
"Don't rush me, Dr. Grissom. This is a dangerous game. I'd hate for you to lose too badly. My message is this: Jer 35 17. Good luck, and God Bless." Click.
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