Note: I'm thinking this may be wrapped up in just a few more chapters. We'll see what comes. Hope you enjoy this chapter...I know it seems kinda slow..but answers are coming...rest assured. Thanks for all the reviews. Keep them coming!
The A/V lab was quiet, isolated even. It was all Nick could do to stay awake, to stay focused. He glanced at his watch. Was it really morning? 9:00 even. He had just spent the last four hours screening the footage he had collected from the super market. His eyes were burning from the prolonged viewing session. He needed to take a break.
He sat back in his seat, stretching his back muscles. He still had one more tape to work through, but not without another cup of coffee. Nick stifled a yawn as he headed to the break room.
"Hey Nicky, you're still here?" Catherine asked as she breezed into the break room. She was heading home. She and Sara had had no problem closing their case within one shift.
"Yeah, I'm waiting on some DNA results," he nodded pouring the black tonic Greg had the nerve to call coffee into his mug. "I'll probably be here a while," he said taking a seat on the couch across the room.
"You look horrible," she said noticing his bloodshot eyes and slightly disheveled appearance. "When's the last time you slept?"
"I don't know," he shrugged leaning his head back on the couch, "twenty-four hours. Griss and I ended up with a missing person case. One kid was found dead at the skate park, his friend is missing. Turns out the missing kid is Judge Shroll's son."
"Sounds rough. How's it going?" she asked taking a seat next to him.
"Slow. I just spent four hours viewing surveillance video from a supermarket. I still haven't found anything definitive. I still haven't gotten autopsy results from Grissom; Doc's been backed up in the morgue all night. We do have an audio of the ransom message left on the judge's cell phone. Archie's been workin' on that," he shrugged as Grissom walked into the break room.
"Hey Nick. I need you," he said filling his own coffee cup. "We're going over to the judge's house. We need to get an idea of who his son is. Grab your kit. I'll meet you at the car."
"Copy that," Nick said not quite ready to get up off the couch.
"Well, good luck," Catherine smiled patting Nick on the knee. "I'll see you tonight."
"Yeah," Nick yawned slowly moving to an upright position. He was getting old.
It was hot. Another heat wave was plaguing the city. Even at 10 in the morning, the mercury threatened with the hundred degree marker.
Nick and Grissom were joined by Jim Brass at the residence of Judge Shroll. It was a nice place, a stately home in one of the few gated neighborhoods in Vegas. This neighborhood in particular was home to numerous attorneys, judges, and financial officers.
"So what are we looking for?" Nick asked as the three men approached the judge's front door.
"Anything that will give us an idea of where the son could be," Grissom said flatly.
"I'll talk to the judge," Brass nodded as he rang the doorbell.
The judge was a tall man, in his late forties, standing about six feet and some inches tall. His hair was beginning to gray at his temples. As he answered the door, he looked as if he hadn't slept in days.
"Judge Shroll, I'm Detective Brass. This is Gil Grissom and Nick Stokes from the Crime Lab."
The man only nodded opening the door wider allowing the three to enter. "How can I help you guys find my son?"
"We'll need to take a look at his room," Grissom said removing his sunglasses.
"Look wherever you need to," he nodded. "His is the last room on the left at the top of the stairs," he pointed allowing the criminalists to do their jobs.
Nick led the way up the stairs. Grissom followed suit, taking time to observe as he did so.
The house was clean, he noticed. White walls and white carpet. Pictures of the family lined the wall up the stairs. The CSIs only glanced into each room as they made their way to the boy's room.
The son, Christian Shroll, was a good looking kid. Tall like his father, he was also athletic. His room was typical for any teenager. Skateboarding posters lined the walls; clothes were strewn about, some actually making it to the clothes basket in the corner. The bed was unmade.
Nick pulled on a pair of latex gloves, as did Grissom, and busied himself sifting through the boy's computer desk.
"Hey Griss, check this out," Nick said reading over a note in the boy's handwriting. "J 7 DH 9. What do you think that means?"
Grissom pursed his lips in thought, as he scanned over the paper covered desk. "DH, Durango Hills," he shrugged.
"The skate park," Nick nodded.
"Wasn't our vic's time of death placed around 9:00 last night?"
"Yeah," Nick nodded again. "You thinking the judge's kid's in on this whole thing?"
"I don't know. Weirder things have happened," Grissom shrugged. The two continued their respective searches in comfortable silence. Nick bagged several stacks of papers, and computer print outs. Grissom gathered a couple skateboards, some photos of the two skating partners, and a couple cell phone bills. Their search hadn't given them much, but they hadn't yet gotten to the computer. That was to be taken back to the lab.
"Jason and Christian meet at the skate park everyday, especially right before a tournament," the judge was telling Brass. "They'd meet in the morning and work all day. They had a new element they were working on."
"So, yesterday morning what time did Christian leave the house?" the detective asked writing some notes down on a pad of paper.
"Around eleven, I guess. He slept late today. I didn't have to be in court until the afternoon."
"Do you know of anyone who would want to hurt your son?"
"Jason and Christian were the two top competitors in their age bracket. Kids come from all over the country to compete in this skateboard competition. Kids would kill for a status like my son had," the judge said, his head in his hands. "Christian was ranked second in the country."
"Who was first?"
"Jason," he replied as the two CSIs made their ways down the stairs. Nick carried the boy's computer out the door.
"Well, it looks like we have all we need for now. We're processing the voicemail you gave us earlier. We're doing everything we can to find your son."
"Thank you. If there's anything else you need, don't hesitate."
"Sure thing," the detective said shaking the judge's hand and following the criminalists out the front door.
"When did you get friendly with the judge?" Grissom asked as they approached the Denali, his hands full with evidence.
"So did you guys find anything?" Brass asked ignoring the question.
"We're taking the computer to the lab to see what we can find," Grissom pointed as Nick piled the equipment into the back of the SUV.
"We found some papers on the kid's desk," Nick said. "Could be something, could be nothing," he shrugged.
"This case is giving me a headache," the detective said putting on his sunglasses.
"Let's get this stuff back to the lab. Doc should have the autopsy report by now," Grissom nodded as Nick made his way to the driver's seat.
"Yeah, I've got some surveillance to finish up," Nick nodded. "DNA should be coming back too."
"What do you say we drive thru for some lunch?" Brass asked looking at his watch. "My treat," he smiled.
"Greasy man fuel," Nick smiled backing the SUV out of the driveway and toward the nearest Burger King. It had been a good nine hours since he had acknowledged his stomach. He would need the energy to finish out the shift. The couple hours sleep he was hoping to get before shift tonight were quickly beginning to look more and more like a dream as the daytime hours quickly faded.
Time was working against them, as it does in every missing person case. Now that it was nearing 1:00, they had yet to have anymore contact with the supposed kidnappers. The evidence was not giving them much to work with. It was hard to remain optimistic on this one. He was beginning to fear this case turning into a double homicide. Some answers would be a really good thing to have right now. But only questions plagued the two CSIs. It was not the best place to be in an investigation, according to Nick.
Grissom rode in silence as Nick steered in and out of traffic. Some of the questions Nick mulled over in his own head, Grissom also wrestled with in his mind. Grissom, however, enjoyed the puzzle, the intrigue of unanswered questions, the possibilities each answer offered. He really loved this job.