Note: Once I got this chapter running, it kinda took me with it. I'm not gonna be around to post a new chapter until early next week! Hope this will get you through the weekend! Thanks for the comments! Keep them coming!
"So, where are we?" Grissom asked leaning back in the chair behind his desk. It was nearing the middle of their shift. Nick was leaning against the door jam, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Mia is processing the blood I collected from the sidewalk. I gave her the sunflower shells and the package we found in the tree," he started. "I gave the fibers and wood fragments to Hodges."
"It's not much."
"At least it's not nothing," he was always optimistic. "I was about to begin processing the tire treads, hopefully we can get a make on the SUV the kids say they saw," Nick shrugged. He had to agree there wasn't much evidence to work with. He stood quiet for a minute, thinking. "You know, there was a 24-hour market across the street from the parking lot. Maybe our killer bought his sunflower seeds."
"A little afternoon snack before an evening murder?" Grissom asked with raised eyebrows. His glasses hung loosely in his right hand, his elbow resting on his desk as he leaned forward.
"Most markets around here have surveillance," he nodded. "I'll drive over there and see what I can find out," Nick said. "Maybe I'll do another run of the crime scene while I'm over there," he shrugged. "Maybe we missed something."
"It couldn't hurt. Get Brass to go with you," the supervisor nodded as he began to tackle the stack of papers collected on his desk.
"Will do," he nodded leaving the man's office.
Nick made his way through the hallways of the crime lab, hoping to find Brass before he made it all the way to the detective's office. He was lucky. Just as he stepped out of the locker room, he practically ran over the older man.
"Hey, Nicky. What's going on?"
"I was just looking for you," he said zipping up his CSI vest and putting on his Forensics ball cap.
"In the CSI locker room?"
"I was on my way to your office. Care to join me? I need to make a run to the market," he smiled.
"Sure. I do love a good intrigue," Brass smiled as he followed the CSI to the Denali.
Fifteen minutes later the two were stuck in heavy traffic. It wasn't unusual for Vegas to be active at all hours of the night. It would take them a while to get to their destination.
"So, you've got a chocolate craving? Is this a late night snack run?" Brass asked from the passenger seat.
"No," Nick laughed, flashing is 100 watt smile. "I just remembered there was a 24-hour market across the street from the skate park. I'm hoping to get some surveillance footage. Maybe our killer bought his sunflower seeds there today," he shrugged.
"Guess it's worth a shot," the man shrugged. "If we can get around this traffic." The man could never stand to be held up more than a couple minutes. Nick was grateful for the distraction as the man's cell phone rang.
"Brass," the man answered on the second ring.
Nick busied himself with his driving, weaving in and out of the slow moving traffic, hoping to cut some time off the already lengthy commute across town.
"Yeah, I got it," the man continued into his phone. "Have them bring it to the crime lab," he finished hanging up.
"What was that about?" the criminalist asked.
"We got a copy of the voice mail sent to the judge's cell phone."
"Well, maybe we're getting somewhere," he said finally weaving the Denali onto an open street.
Half an hour later the men pulled into a parking spot outside the super market. The lot was nearly deserted, save for three cars and a delivery truck. Nick noticed a camera in clear view at the main entrance, positioned directly over the parking lot. Another camera was positioned directly inside the door focused toward the rows of cash registers.
There was only one cashier working at this time of night. Several stockmen worked at stacking the shelves with canned goods. The midnight manager, a young man most likely in his twenties, was busied himself counting money behind the customer service desk. The two men made their way to the counter.
"How may I help you gentlemen?" the manager asked, nervously spotting the detectives pocket badge.
"Hi there, Chip," the detective smiled noticing the managers name tag. "I'm Detective Jim Brass; this is Nick Stokes of the Crime Lab. We'd like to ask you a couple questions."
"Sure," the kid nodded obviously nervous. "What about?"
"We're investigating the murder of a teenager at the skate park across the street," Nick started. "We were hoping you could give us copies of your surveillance tapes from this afternoon."
"Uh, a murder, huh? Wh-why do you think our tapes will help?" he was still nervous. It almost made Nick want to smile.
"Well, we have reason to believe our suspect could have bought some sunflower seeds from here earlier today," Nick explained.
"Well, only three of our five cameras work," the kid said motioning for the two men to follow him into the back office. He nervously glanced behind him to make sure the two were following him. "The camera trained on the loading dock out back went kaput a week ago. We haven't had time to get it repaired, yet. But, the front door, freezer, produce section, and the parking lot cameras are all working."
"We're going to need those tapes," Nick nodded as the kid began to eject the VHS tapes from their designated VCRs.
"Sure," he nodded handing the videos to the criminalist. "This is all of them," he said. His hands were shaking.
"You okay there sport?" Nick asked giving a quick glance toward the detective. "You seem a little edgy."
"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm just a little nervous is all," he shrugged.
"What is there to be nervous about?" Brass asked, his suspicions rising.
"This is the first time I've been on night shift," he shrugged. "It's also the first time I've been questioned by cops for anything."
"Well, hey now, there's nothing to be worried about," Nick grinned trying to put the kid at ease. "When do you normally work?"
"Uh, afternoons. I usually come in around three and work until 11."
"So, who took your normal shift today?" Brass asked.
"Um, Trey Davis," he responded. "He and I switched shifts today. He said he had plans tonight."
"What kind of plans could a person have at this time of night?" Nick asked the detective.
"We're going to need to talk to him," Brass said with a nod. "You wouldn't have a number we could use to get a hold of Trey would you?"
"Yeah," he nodded sifting through the Rolodex on the office desk. "Here it is," he smiled handing the criminalist a business card from the file.
"You wouldn't happen to have a record of who worked today either would you? Maybe a list of cashiers that clocked in," Nick asked.
"Uh, yeah. I'll have to print that off the computer. That could take a few minutes," the kid nodded.
"We're not going anywhere," Brass smiled as he and Nick followed the manager back out toward the customer service desk.
Ten minutes later they were walking back to the Denali with the videos and lists of employees.
"So you think there's anything probative on those things?" Brass asked skeptically.
"I'll know more when I look through them," Nick shrugged. "Hey, are you in a rush to do anything?" he asked taking a look across the parking lot.
"No, why?"
"I thought I'd take another run through the park, see if there's anything we missed earlier," he shrugged locking the evidence in the SUV and engaging the security system on the vehicle.
"Hey, knock yourself out," the man shrugged taking a look at his watch. He quickened his pace to keep up with the CSI. It was almost five o'clock.
Nick pulled on a pair of latex gloves in hopes of finding anything that may lead them to a suspect. Crime scene tape still tapered off the area where the body was found, but the lights of the park had long been shut off. The CSI used his flashlight in order to see.
"What are you hoping to find?" Brass asked from beside the younger man. He was short of breath from trying to keep up the quick pace.
"I don't know," Nick shook his head, slowing his pace as he neared the clump of trees from earlier. "But, this could be something," he stopped abruptly.
"What've you got?"
"It looks like a wheel off a skateboard," he said lowering to his haunches to pick up the potential evidence. There was blood around the wheel spoke. "Grissom found splintered wood in the victim's head wound. I bet we're looking for a skateboard as our murder weapon," he said putting the wheel in an evidence bag.
The two men walked the scene once more.
"Grissom should have the results of the autopsy by now," Nick said glancing at his watch. I'll get this wheel to DNA and hopefully match it to the murder weapon," he said before returning to the SUV and driving back to the crime lab. The eastern sky was beginning to show the first evidence of day. It was looking like the dawn of a double shift.