Chapter 2
Nick had barely been back at the Lab when Mia had tracked him down, as he dropped off film from the scene. He told Greg to start his analysis of the stuffed toy, while Warrick took the shoe prints to work on, without a word. The two partners really didn't need any spoken communication. After working side by side for over six years, they knew each other's routines and dividing up the case was second nature.
It was obvious that Mia was fuming over something, so the temporary shift leader took her a side. "Something on your mind?" he asked.
"Oh, you can say that." The fiery lab tech huffed and tapped her pristine finger nails on the glass of one of the windows of the cubicle.
Nick lifted his eyebrows, waiting for her to get her emotions under control. He really wanted to get back to his current case, but Mia was one of "his" employees.
"It's Hodges." She seethed.
Nick lifted his head in expectation.
"I can put up with his comments since I just ignore him. His lab side manner is competent, but I swear, Nick. That man needs to give me some space. I try to keep an organized, tidy area- MY area," she emphasized.
Nick nodded, trying to follow her train of thought.
"He's contaminating everything with all of his projects. Samples, paper
work, chemicals everywhere. The man's even encroaching on my shelves and my work counter." Mia tapped her foot constantly as she fumed to Nick.
Nick held out his hands. He really didn't have time for this. "Mia... Mia," he said trying to get her to quiet enough to listen. "I'll talk to Hodges. Tell him to respect your space."
Nick knew how compulsive the female tech could be. Just by agreeing to hold the snarky man accountable for whatever she deemed offensive would allow him to cut the conversation short.
"It's more about respect, Nick." Mia fixed him with her brilliant eyes.
"He's insatiable sometimes. What am I saying? All the time. I really think he does it to push my buttons."
"Then don't let him," Nick stated. "Don't give him that power over you. Ignore the guy, we all do."
It was obvious that she wasn't pleased with his solution. Nick placed his hand on her shoulder trying to lull her. "I'll make sure he gets the message, all right?"
Mia seemed to think about it. "Fine. Just talk to him. Tonight."
Nick grinned. "I will."
The tech, walked away briskly without another word, and Nick shook his head. Personal problems. He had work to do and he had to play referee. He'd consult the playground bully in a little while. The CSI searched out Greg Sanders. The ex-tech should have had time to start processing the stuffed donkey.
Nick found the younger CSI focused over a microscope. The small stuffed animal lay on a tray; several samples of fibers were tagged and neatly organized. Nick studied the little toy for a moment; his eyes focused on how much of a small child's affections were bestowed on such an item. Maybe the animal had been a favorite, something the boy couldn't go to bed without. Or perhaps it was a gift from his parents, a couple now frantic and worried about the safety of a son.
Nick's jaw tightened. He was going to have to destroy someone's life tonight, watch it shatter into a million pieces. Sometimes he felt like the Grim Reaper, carrying the message of death onto others.
"Come up with anything on the toy?"
Greg peered up, and placed his hands along the edge of the counter. "It's definably old. It wasn't bought recently. The hair is worn away in spots, the color slightly faded."
"Means the suspect didn't buy the toy to calm down the boy," Nick reasoned.
Greg nodded. "I swabbed a dozen areas, and found a small hair sample. It's blonde so it might be the kid's. I'll wait to get a comparison from Doc Robbins, when he's done."
Greg scrunched his face while he contemplated his next question. "Why do you think the killer brought the toy to a dump site?" Greg tried not to look sheepish.
Nick picked up on the hesitation. "It's all right to ask the 'why?' questions, Greg. But I don't know. When we find the parents maybe they can help us figure out if there was any significance. There was care taken in how the boy was presented." Nick gritted his teeth. "However, let's focus on the 'how', all right?"
The ex-tech nodded silently.
Nick turned to exit the room, when Sara Side almost bumped into him.
"Hey, Nick." There was no hostility in her tone. If she didn't accept the fact that Nick was in charge without any competitive issues, then she wasn't showing it.
"I just came back from the morgue with my case. Doc wanted me to give you the clothes from your DB." Sara handed the other criminalist the plastic baggie that contained the small pajamas.
Nick took the items from her hands. "How's your case coming along? I thought you and O'Reilly had a suspect in custody?"
Sara's body stiffened, transforming into a defensive posture. Nick didn't want to appear as if he was breathing down her neck and changed his question. "I mean, you were down at the morgue." He raised an eyebrow in question.
Sara relaxed, slightly. "We had Botts in for questioning, but the poison we found in his secretary's food, and the chemicals he had access to his lab, don't jibe. I went down to talk to Robbins to see if there was perhaps a combination we might be missing."
Nick listened while he squeezed the evidence bag in his hands. He tried to ignore a small voice in his head, telling him that something wasn't right. "Good. Just keep me informed on any changes. Botts is a chemist, he might have used a compound that broke down into components that can't be identified as a normal poison."
Sara was agreeing with him. "Already on it. See you later," she waved as she went back down the corridor of the lab.
Nick held himself rigidly, as his fingers clasped the smooth plastic, the clothes rubbing on the inside. He caught Greg staring at him from the corner of his eye and Nick turned and headed for a work area that wasn't already occupied.
He found a small examination room, and donned one of the light blue lab coats. He strolled over to a box of latex gloves, slapped a pair on and then proceeded to take the pajama top and bottoms out of the plastic. He read the evidence label, listing out the articles collected before the autopsy took place. Doc Robbins' handwriting was clear and legible. One shirt top with dinosaurs on the front and a solid pair of footed blue bottoms. Nick laid each item on the table. He adjusted one of the lamps, by pulling the bright bulb closer.
Nick knew that addling more brightness to the clothes wasn't going to make the situation any more correct. He fingered the PJ's, his mind wrestling with the fact that the little boy's underwear was missing. Nick rolled his shoulders as the bile burned the back of his throat. His brain was sending all sorts of danger signals, but right now he needed to see if he could find any trace off these nightclothes.
Jim Brass was hitting the computers for any missing child reports, so he would concentrate on something that was in front of him. Nick began the process of searching for any trace of the killer. He started with the ALS to search for any fluids, and then made swabs in hopes of finding any epithelials. Then he would begin the task of lifting any fibers.
Nick spent the next hour with the clothes. All the while the nagging in his head was starting to get louder, and harder to ignore.
Nick was taking notes from his lack of findings from the pajamas. He had already put the clothes in a cardboard box that housed all the evidence in the case so far. The container was virtually empty; never a good sign in an investigation, but the night was still young. He flipped through the pages when Warrick knocked to signal his presence and entered.
Nick adjusted his weight on the stool and looked up at him. "Get anywhere with the shoe prints?"
Warrick threw down some photos and forms, then shrugged his shoulders.
"Prints were a size 11 Adidas. Very popular brand. It's the third best selling walking shoe for the company. Other than that, I got nothin'."
Warrick stood over the other CSI and stole a look at his notes. "What about you? Anything?"
Nick grunted. "Not much. No trace of anything on the clothes. I'm still waiting for Greg's analysis of the toy. He found a hair on it, but my gut tells me it'll belong to the kid."
Nick put the pictures of the clothes and laid it out for his coworker to view. "I'm guessing the John Doe is about 8." Nick looked up at the other man. "His underwear is missing."
Warrick followed his partner's train of thought. "He might not wear any. Kids take that stuff off all the time, but yeah. The implications aren't very good."
"Yeah. I've got someone running his prints with the school system. But so far, nothing." Nick didn't feel any closer to finding out the child's name.
"He might not attend any of the schools that are involved in that program. It's not mandatory in all districts." Warrick offered, feeling like the local administrations didn't do enough to help keep track of their own school children.
Nick got up and stretched his back. He looked at his watch. "I think Doc should be done with the preliminary autopsy by now. Our kid was the next on his table." Nick regretted the casualness of his voice.
"I'm going to take Greg with me. He needs to experience the whole case from beginning to end."
Warrick gathered his findings. "I'm meeting Brass over at the station; give him a hand on those missing kids' reports. I'll take your photos with me. See if we can track down a lead."
Both men set off in different directions, each with the same common goal.
Nick stood outside the morgue, watching Greg Sanders walk slowly down the hall. The young man played with the buttons of his lab coat, as he approached the other criminalist.
Greg folded his arms across his chest, and stared at the door. "We, ah, waiting for something?"
Nick cleared his throat. "I just thought you might one to take a few seconds to prepare yourself."
Greg tried to look indifferent. "I've handled autopsies before. No problem." He said, his voice as normal as possible. His eyes spoke differently, there was uncertainly there.
Nick put his hand on the other man's shoulder. "This will be different and you wouldn't be human if it wasn't. Ask questions, pay attention. But most of all, let me know if you are handling it alright."
Greg looked pensive, but nodded. Nick knew that the youngest of the team was really trying, but he was still a rookie. As much as Greg needed to learn, he needed to take these steps seriously and be straightforward with him.
Nick pushed open the heavy, metallic door, and stepped into a room that filled his nostrils with smells of chemicals, blood, and the decay of death. He wandered into the chilly, dark room, his feet taking him towards the middle of it. A light hung down over a lifeless little body.
Doc Robbins seemed like he was in his own world, staring down at the boy. The image of the kid's face was projected onto a computer screen next to the doctor's left. A sheet covered the child all the way to his waist. The sickly white flesh tone made Nick's skin crawl.
Both men gave the older man in the room a few moments and then Nick made his way over. His footfalls alerted the coroner that he was no longer alone.
"Nick." The older man focused his attention on the other CSI. "Greg."
Nick knew there was no room for small talk. He looked down at the John Doe; the boy barely took up half the table.
"Do you have any preliminary findings?" Nick asked, his voice soft and low.
The coroner pointed at the large cut that went from right below his jaw line, all the way across the boy's throat. "COD from exsanguination, single large blade across the jugular. Death was within minutes."
Greg studied the slit in the kid's throat. He tried to keep his now queasy stomach at bay from the violence and cold-bloodedness of such an evil act. Other than that terrible mark, the boy's face was void of any signs of bruises, or other cuts. The simple expression of innocence. He tried to keep his feet still and keep from moving around too much.
The coroner continued with his summary. "Rigor and liver temp indicates the boy has been dead less than four hours. David put time of death under an hour from when you arrived at the scene."
Nick nodded. "Any designative marks?"
Greg darted his eyes from his coworker to the doctor. The coroner, fixed both men was an even stare. "No. I searched for any signs of physical trauma. No bruising on his arms or legs. Nothing on his chest." Dr. Robbins adjusted his glasses, the pause alerting both CSIs of bad news.
"My initial exam went forward and I discovered bruising around his groin area." The coroner maintained a detached voice.
Nick stiffened; he held his breath to try to resist the urge to lose his cool. He had to remain professional at all times. "Anything else?"
Doc Robbins nodded. "Signs of sodomy, tearing around the anus, and a lot of deep bruising. I'll perform a SART examine in a little while."
Nick looked over at Greg, who stared straight in front of him, the young man's body tense. Nick waited to see if the other CSI would ask any questions of his own, but the other man remained mute. Nick turned to face the older man. "How fresh is the trauma?" His accent was heavy as he tried to keep his voice calm.
"Less than twenty-four hours. I'll be searching for signs of repeated abuse."
Nick took in the added information and turned to his colleague. "Compare the hair off the toy with a sample of the boy's. I want to know if it belongs to him, or perhaps our suspect."
Greg blew out a breath and headed out of the morgue. Nick could tell from how quickly the younger man dashed towards the door that he could not get out there fast enough. Nick glanced back at the coroner.
Doc Robbins looked at the young criminalist before him. "Do you want to process the body?"
When the doctor was greeted by silence, he looked down at the little boy. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
"Let me know when you get the rape kit results back." Solemnly the CSI exited the lab and stood in the hallway.
This particular corridor was the quietest part of the building; very little traffic came though this area. Nick leaned against the wall, the smooth stone a solid reinforcement for his back. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, allowing himself to mourn another dead kid. He was glad Doc Robbins had offered to do the evidence collection. Nick really didn't want to search for defensive wounds, or do any hair and fiber collection from the boy's fingernails and body.
He collected himself and walked with a flourish back to the lab. He wasn't going to let the trail get cold for this child. He would find out who he was, and what monster was behind the tragedy.
Author's notes:
This story is going to be about very large build ups. This is one of the more complicated plots I've tried and along the way it's going to cause a lot of questions, which will not have answers until later chapters. I'm trying to keep things a bit chaotic as the story continues, just like it would be during a real investigation. I hope everyone will enjoy the layers, with a bit of patient, this is a longer work.
Thank you for everyone for their feedback, much appreciated.