Wow. Thank you everyone for the reviews. I appreciate the support. I'm going to try and put a chapter out every 2 or 3 days. Well here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy.
Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders rode in silence. Greg looked out the window at the various tourists and people milling about on the famous Las Vegas strip. They were on their way to a B&E, a standard breaking and entering at the legendary Tropicana Hotel. These calls were a little easier to handle since the victim was still alive.
The SUV pulled into the parking lot; Sara left the police lights off because there really was no reason to have them on. Both CSIs retrieved their kits and headed into the hotel.
"Where are we heading?" Greg said while following Sara to the elevators.
"Room 511." Sara replied as she hit the up button.
When the elevator arrived Sara and Greg stepped to the side to allow a handful of people to exit, and then the stepped on. Sara pressed the number 5.
When the doors of the elevator opened Sara and Greg exited and went to the right. There was a young cop no older than Greg standing in front of Room 511. Sara and Greg walked up and stopped right in front of him.
"I'm sorry this is a crime scene, you need to leave." The cop said firmly.
Both Sara and Greg held up their IDs so the cop could see them clearly.
"I'm Sara Sidle and this is Greg Sanders we are with the Crime Lab, we received a call about a breaking and entering."
"Oh yes, Detective Vega said to expect you, please go right in. Sorry about giving you a hard time, it's my first day on the job."
"We all have our first days. It's no problem." Greg replied as he walked through the door.
Sara looked at Greg with a smile. "Gee Greg aren't you still working on your first day."
"That hurts Sara, it really does." He replied with mock hurt.
As they entered the room, they found Detective Vega sitting on a nice beige Victorian chair speaking with an elderly couple that were sitting on a beige Victorian couch. Vega glanced over to see who had entered the room and acknowledged the CSIs with a nod.
"OK sir, can you please tell me what happened?" Detective Vega asked gently.
"Well Detective … my wife and I went down to the casino to do a little bit of gambling, we were down there for a couple of hours."
"What time would you say that was?"
The elderly man looked to his wife to answer.
"I would say that we were down there between 9 and 11. We played the slot machines for a bit then came back up here." She answered.
"Then what happened?"
"Well when we got off the elevator we notice that our door was open, we went in and found that my purse gone. It had all of our cash in it. We called the front desk and they sent security up. Security looked around and then they called you, and that's what happened."
Sara and Greg listened as the couple told their story, every once in a while glancing around the room.
"Is there anything else that you can remember?" Vega asked.
"Nope. That's really all that there is."
"OK."
Vega stood up and waved Sara and Greg over.
"Mr. and Mrs. Herris this is Sara Sidle and Greg Sanders from the Crime Lab, they will be going through your room to see if they can find any traces of who may have broken in."
Sara and Greg shook the couple's hand, as Sara began talking.
"Mr. and Mrs. Herris would it be OK if I asked you a few questions as well?"
"Well certainly my dear." Mrs. Herris replied with a smile.
Sara placed her kit on the floor and sat down on another chair across from Vega. Greg started to process the room.
"Can you show me where you kept your purse while you stayed in this room?"
"I kept my purse on that desk right there." Mrs. Herris pointed.
The desk was just to the left of the couch that they were sitting on.
"When was the last time you saw your purse?"
"When we were getting ready to leave." She answered.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes I'm sure."
"You didn't bring it down with you or put it in the room safe?" Sara questioned.
"Just what are you implying?" Mr. Herris asked getting angry. Mrs. Herris patted his leg to settle him down.
"I'm not implying anything Mr. Herris. It's our job to look at every angle. None of our questions are meant to be insulting. Believe it or not sometimes our questions, as hurtful as they may be, do jog some memories."
The couple looked at each other.
"Could you answer the question please?" Vega said.
"Of course Detective. I'm pretty sure it was in my room when we left Ms. Sidle."
"OK that's all of the questions I have so far. We will need you to leave the room, until we are finished processing it."
They all rose from their seats, and the couple left the room, leaving only Greg, Sara and Detective Vega.
"Vega, can you find out from hotel management if anyone from housekeeping was up here cleaning and could you also find out if only two keys were assigned to this room?"
"I'm on it."
"Oh and one more thing."
"Let me guess, check out the surveillance tapes in the casino and in the elevator?"
"You know me too well." Sara said with a smile.
"Yep, I'm getting to know all you guys a little to well. I will call you if I find anything."
Vega exited the room. Sara glanced over at Greg.
"So what have we got so far?"
"I checked both sides of the door and I don't show any forced entry."
"OK so how did they get in the room?" Sara questioned like the professor to the student.
"Well there are at least three different ways a person could enter through this door without force: with a key, putting tape or something inside the lock, or leaving the door open either by accident or on purpose."
"Very good, and what's your opinion?"
"Now CSI Sidle, you know that we really aren't suppose to form any opinions, only follow the evidence, and come to a conclusion using our scientific know-how."
"Good answer CSI Sanders."
"Yea well I learn from the best." Sara smiled at the compliment, but then Greg finished his sentence. "Warrick, Nick, Catherine and Grissom." He smirked.
"That hurts Greg, it really does."
"Just joking Sara, you are one of the best. You know it's in my nature to be a kidder. Getting back to business with the door. I didn't see anything stuck inside the lock, but the person who broke in could have taken it with him."
"Well I do have Vega looking into the card readers."
"OK … good. I'm going to start printing the doorknobs."
"Sounds good. I'm going to check the floor."
Sara pull her hair up in a ponytail, blew her bangs up, took out a pair of latex gloves. She then got down on her hands and knees and started processing.
"I got a couple of prints off of both doorknobs." Greg said as he dusted.
Greg had the door partially open when he heard a gentle knock. He opened it all the way to see Detective Vega standing there.
"Hey Vega long time no see, come on in and join the fun." Joked Greg.
"Well I'm here to bring good news."
Sara got up off the floor, and walked over to Vega and Greg.
"You found the perpetrator from the surveillance video." Sara said quickly.
"Yep we found the perpetrator, but your not going to believe who it is."
Sara and Greg glanced at each other … their curiosity was peaked. Vega smiled, and walked over to the door.
"You can come in now." He said to someone standing in the hall.
Mr. and Mrs. Herris both walked into the room slowly, and believe it or not Mrs. Herris had her purse.
"Mrs. Herris, you have your purse." Greg said.
"Yep I was going through the surveillance tapes, I followed them down the elevator and into the casino. Mrs. Herris did have her purse when she left the room; she placed it next to a slot machine and forgot to take it with her. I had security go to that specific slot machine, and sure enough the purse was still there. So case solved."
"I am so sorry to have put you through all of this. I really did think that I left my purse here in the room. I am so embarrassed." Mrs. Herris sobbed.
"Mrs. Herris it's OK. Things like this happen. I'm constantly losing my keys. We are just glad that you got your purse back." Greg said.
"Mr. Sanders I know that we found my wife's purse, but how do you explain our door being opened." Mr. Herris asked.
"Actually I can explain that. When I was looking around I found this on the floor, near the bathroom."
Greg held up a "do not disturb" sign, the kind that hangs off of a doorknob.
"I believe, well actually let me show you."
Greg grabbed the "do not disturb" sign and placed it back on the doorknob. He walked over to Mrs. Herris.
"Can I borrow your purse?" He said with a smile. "I promise I won't lose it."
Mrs. Herris gave her purse to Greg with a confused look.
"Mrs. Herris how do you carry your purse? Do you carry by the handles or do you put it over your shoulder?"
"I put it over my shoulder."
Greg proceeded to put the purse on his shoulder and opened the door before starting to walk out. The sign stuck to the purse as he walked out. The door closed with the sign stuck by the lock. The door opened by itself. Greg walked back in.
"There you go. The "do not disturb" sign somehow got wedged in the door and when the elevators doors opened a gust of wind blew the door open just a little bit."
"Well I guess for now on we'll have to be extra careful, and make sure that the door is secure before we leave. Thanks for all your help, and we are really sorry to put you through all of this." Mrs. Herris said.
Sara and Greg packed up there kits, walked into the hallway and caught the elevator to the lobby.
"So Greg do you really lose stuff all the time?" Sara asked.
"Yep it happens a lot." Greg answered.
"Wow that explains it then."
"Explains what?"
"You must have lost your comb this morning."
"Hey, I'll have you know that I work really hard on my hair." Greg said defending himself, as they got into the SUV and drove back to the lab.