Two Sided Mirror
A/N: Big props go to Nikki for helping me out of a corner! You are a Gem! Buckle up everyone, it's going to be a long ride!
Chapter6- Understanding the impossible
Horatio walked into the atrium, feeling the heaviness of the scene as he saw the familiar yellow crime scene tape pulled around the place where she sat. He couldn't help but think about the last time he saw her which was the previous day as he handed her some evidence to lock up. He stood there for a moment, deep in thought with his hands in normal position as he tilted his head, gazing at the evidence locker. Without another thought he un clipped his cell and flipped it open while he continued to look at the evidence locker.
" Eric, I need the photos of firearms," Horatio said as he walked over to the back of the desk.
" Speed was taking care of that. I have no idea where he put them," Eric returned.
" Find his camera and develop the film. I think I know what happened here."
" Sure, will it help Speed or hurt him?"
"Eric, until all of the evidence is in, that is a question that I can't answer. Keep me posted."
" Sure thing H."
Horatio flipped the phone down and pulled the evidence locker, feeling the lock as it held its place. He thought some more then flipped his phone up again, this time getting Alexx.
" Alexx, have you finished post on Paula?"
" Not yet, Horatio. Why?"
" Because I have a feeling that Paula was trying to tell us something. I'll be down there in a moment."
" Alright," Alexx said as she looked down on Paula. " He's going to find out why this happened to you, honey."
/Understanding the Impossible/
Speed zipped up his jacket as he glared at Preston. There was nothing more sickening to him than this man. Preston smirked at him and rolled his eyes, his contempt flowing out of him. He had to use the cop , but he really didn't want to. He thought that one of his agents could've done a better job. He did have to admit that Speed came with perks, such as access to the guns, although that avenue had dried up.
" So are we clear about what is to happen?" Preston asked as he popped his gum, a gesture that made Speed even more irritated.
" Yeah, I meet the guy. What's so hard about that?"
" Don't be a smart ass. If he hints at anything... we are dead in the water, and you my friend could end up on the wrong side of the bars."
"Alright, I got it," Speed said as he glanced at himself in the mirror. " Where did Prue go?"
" She's not your concern, Speed. Focus on what it is you are going to do. Now, when he asks to see the guns, you know how to do it, right?"
" I'm not a preschooler, I can follow the directions the first time given," Speed shot back.
Preston put his hands up and sat back, " Hey , I was just making sure you got it right, chief. This could get very ugly very fast. I don't have to remind you of what happens when they get pissed , do I?"
He glared back at Preston , feeling his temper rising at the connotation of Nia's death. He knew that they were exploiting her demise for their own good, but he didn't think about it, he just wanted revenge. Pulling the anger back inside, he grabbed the sliver suitcase and headed for the door.
/Understanding the Impossible/
" What do you need Horatio?" Alexx asked as he pushed through the doors of the autopsy theater.
" Can you give me the trajectory of the bullet?"
" Sure, tell me what you are thinking?"
" Let me make sure that I'm right first," Horatio said as he stood next to the slab. Paula's skin had already taken a sickish gray color and her lips were dark blue. He turned his head for a moment then back again as Alexx inserted the trajectory rod into the base of her skull.
" Alright, here we are," Alexx said as she tilted the head to show the rod going through the base of the skull and through her neck. " That's odd."
" What?"
" You see that angle?"
Horatio turned to the computer and saw the calculation , " Seems rather low trajectory for Speed's height, don't you think?"
Alexx looked at him with a small smile on her face, " You don't think that he was alone do you?"
" No, and I don't think that he did this," Horatio said as he glanced back at Paula. " What about those marks on her wrists?"
Alexx gently put the head down and moved to her side, producing her right wrist. " They became more pronounced as time passed. She was definitely held down."
" I don't think she was held down, Alexx. Can you photograph it ?"
"With the ALS ?"
" Yes."
A full smile took residence on her face, " I know what you're thinking. Maybe you can get some fingerprints off of the bruises. I gotta admit, it's a stretch."
" But it's the only thing that I have," he responded as he turned to walk out of the autopsy theater, " Keep me posted."
Alexx nodded her head as she took the rod out of Paula's head, " You hold on , Timmy. Horatio is going to figure it out."
/Understanding the Impossible/
Eric was just finishing developing the photos when Horatio pushed the door in. He held up the photographs and handed them over to him.
" Whatcha got , Eric?"
" Seems like we got ourselves a ruse. The photos were taken of the evidence locker and not of the firearms lab. But H, I saw him process the room."
" There's something more going on here ,Eric. Did we get any workable prints?"
" Very few. I managed to get a good one at Paula's desk. Running it through AFIS right now."
" Alright. I'll be in the atrium..."
" Hey, H, wait," Eric said as the computer had just hit , " I think you may need to see this."
Horatio glanced at the computer to see Speed's picture on the screen. He smiled to himself as he turned to walk out, causing Eric to raise an eyebrow. No one ever knew what Horatio was thinking until he was ready.
/Understanding the Impossible/
Horatio unlocked the evidence locker with the spare key that he had , and slipped on a pair of gloves. He walked in, first taking note of the lack of disturbance in the room, then walking to the rows of boxes that housed the evidence from the pending cases. He noticed right away that the evidence boxes from the scene the day before were un touched. Then he looked to the right of him and saw his blue lab coat. He held it up, seeing the place where the stitching was torn, remembering the material he found behind the desk. It was becoming more and more clearer to him as he thought about it.
He was about to take the lab coat out when his cell phone rang. Flipping it up, he heard Alexx on the other end.
" Horatio, I got the photos, and there was a print. I had Eric run it."
"And?"
" And it's Timmy's. He was holding her wrists."
" Okay, I need you to bring Eric to the atrium. I think it's time we looked at the evidence in context."
/Understanding the Impossible/
Prue sat in her car across from the Crime lab, wondering if she was doing the right thing. Last night was the most wonderful experience, and she held on to that as she drove . She didn't want anything to happen to him, and she really didn't trust Preston, so she thought that she could come to the people he did trust. She knew that it was against protocol and that she could get into some serious trouble, but she didn't care, just as long as Tim was out of harms way.
She got out of the car, and crossed the street carefully. The building looked to be deserted and she put her hands up to the glass to peer in, seeing a figure standing in the middle of the huge atrium. Poising her hand to knock she heard some one walking up , and judging from the clicking of the heels, she could tell that it was a female.
" Excuse me , ma'am, but can I help you?" a southern voice asked. Prue could see her reflection in the vast windows , seeing the long blond hair first. Prue turned around and saw the shocked expression that she held, almost as if she had seen her before.
"I'm Prudence Kruss. ..."
" I know who you are. Where is Tim? Is he okay?" the southern woman asked in a barrage of questions.
Tim? , Prue thought as she quickly glanced over her, are they more than co- workers?
"I'm sorry, but I don't know you," Prue returned as she saw the icy glare that the green eyes were throwing.
" I saw you at Lotus. You were with him, and you left with him."
" I was at Lotus and I met Tim there. Do you make it a habit of spying on people?" Prue asked as she returned the icy stare.
" Tim Speedle is a very good friend of mine and colleague. Odd things have been happening with him ,and I want to know what's going on ," Calleigh demanded.
Prue crossed her arms in front of her and dropped her head before looking up again, " First of all, I know who Tim Speedle is to you and secondly, I don't think you have the authority to make demands like that."
Calleigh stood back and folded her arms as well, standing her ground, " Well, I can't let you in until you state your business."
" What is this a clubhouse now? I have information about Tim. Important. Life threatening information. But if you rather play games..." Prue said as she turned around.
Calleigh put a hand out to stop her, apologizing, " Look I'm sorry , but this has gotten me all frazzled. Let's start again, I'm Calleigh Duqenese, I work firearms."
Prue looked at her hand then to her, seeing the iciness drift away, it being replaced by kind eyes deep in its sincerity. She smiled lightly as she took Calleigh's hand and shook it, " Prudence Kruss, special agent with the Alcohol, Tobacco and firearms bureau."
"Okay, see , I can be civil. Now, what about Tim?"
" Is it possible that I could talk to his LT? No offense," Prue asked. " It's of the sensitive nature."
" Sure , if you'll wait here," Calleigh said as she pulled on the door, walking here. In seconds, she returned with Horatio and he regarded her with a smile.
" Ms. Kruss, how can I help you?"
" I have information on Tim. Something that I think you need to know."
/Understanding the Impossible/
Speed eyed the location from his car, making sure that there were no surprises waiting for him. There was one thing that he agreed with Preston, in that these people were dangerous and sneaky. He watched the black van come to a stop across the street, feeling somewhat better that he was being watched, but not much. He sighed as he looked at the watch. He was on time, they were not.
He moved to start the car when he saw a white van drive up quickly and several men got out of the van with semiautomatic weapons. Two stood in front of his car, pointing the guns at him, while two others opened the door roughly and snatched him out.
" Hey! There's no need of getting rough here, fellas," Speed said as they patted him down.
" Silencio, amigo. Just precautions , you understand?" one said as he stood away from him , still pointing the gun.
" I understand that you are late. What kind of operation are you runnin' here?" Speed asked as he glanced at the black van .
" Are you Americans always so chatty?" the other asked as he shoved Speed towards the van with the barrel of the gun. He lunged forward, surprised at the turn this was taking.
" What can I say, I like to talk. Hey , where are you taking me? I was told that we could do this here."
" My boss never does anything out in the open," the other said as he nudged him more, digging the barrel in his side. " You have a problem with that?"
" No, not at all. Just some courtesy info would be nice," Speed quipped as he glanced over to the black van. He knew that this was not apart of the plan.
" Just get in, hotshot."
Speed did as he was told and got in, feeling his stomach drop. He was now in this by himself.
TBC...