Deceptive Intentions
by Nicol Leoraine
Chapter 6
Warrick and Sara finished with the interrogation and Warrick headed for the other observation room, thinking Nick was still there. But the room was empty, and Brass had already stopped grilling Gonzales and was about ready to send him into custody.
Warrick walked through the lab, having a feeling that Nick was probably with Grissom. But when he found the big chief, sitting behind his desk and frowning, he knew something was wrong.
"What happened?"
Grissom looked up at him and Warrick inwardly sighed when he found the concern written all over his face.
"Where´s Nick?"
"Last time I saw him, he was in the locker room," Grissom spoke and stood, walking toward one of his specimens behind the glass.
"Gonzales confessed?"
"To the attack on Nick, yes. To murdering Paul Mason, no. And I doubt he did it."
"Nick didn´t take it well, huh?" Warrick realized as Grissom nodded.
"Afraid not. Something is eating at him, but I don´t know what."
"Did you at least talk with him?" Warrick asked, somehow annoyed. He knew only too well how awkward Grissom could be, dealing with the emotions of other people.
"I tried. He sent me away."
Warrick snorted, quite imagining just how the talk went. He was pissed at Grissom but more so at himself. He shouldn´t have brought Nick into work. With a frustrated sigh, he started looking for his friend.
After half hour of walking through the lab he pulled out his cell phone, berating himself for not thinking about it sooner and dialed Nick. He let the cell ring ten times, then put it back into his pocket, and decided to try and see if Nick wasn´t already home.
"Hey man, I thought you took a cab or something," Warrick said, glad to find Nick walking towards his car.
"Needed a little walk.
"Didn´t think you had energy for that."
Nick wearily smiled.
"I don´t think so either. How did it go?"
"Good. What about you?"
Nick indefinably shrugged and looked at the car.
"Are we going or should I really call that cab?"
"Just waiting for you, my Prince."
What would otherwise earn Warrick a smack on the back, now came with just a grimace. Maybe it was really just the result of being up and going, even though the doctor prescribed rest, but Warrick didn´t like the silence that was in the car, nor the short, unemotional replies Nick gave when asked something. Warrick was tempted to just stop the car and turn to Nick, ask what the hell was wrong, but he didn´t do it. Nick wasn´t in any shape to face him, and Warrick didn't want to fight with him tonight. It could very well result in leaving Nick alone at his house and Warrick, remembering the case with Nigel Crane, didn't want to risk that, even if the culprit was safely behind the bars. They still hadn't found the killer.
xxxx
Two weeks later, the situation wasn´t any better. The murder of Paul Mason wasn´t any closer to being solved and even though Nick´s injuries had all but healed, he didn´t feel any better. But his teammates didn´t know that, as upon his return to work, Nick started acting as if everything was back to normal. And it was, in a way. Nick worked hard to maintain his facade, so much that he started believing it - at work. But once at home, not surrounded by people and noises, not forced to think about one case or another, his mind turned back to the events of the past two weeks. Once the doctor cleared him, he got a case with Grissom. They never talked about the scene in the locker room, but Nick could see Grissom was watching him the whole night. But he didn´t say a word and focused on the case of a hit and run. At least that case was solved easily as a footage from the nearby bank showed them the whole accident.
The whole time Nick waited for Grissom to say something, to ask him how he was doing or something like that. But Grissom was silently observing, which made Nick even more nervous. He left the lab as soon as he could and headed straight home, feeling bone tired. But sleep didn´t bring him any relief, as the nightmares came. And it wasn´t just Gonzales kicking him. It was a parade of all the people that somehow hurt him, all the people he somehow disappointed or those who disappointed him. And every one of them was standing there, in the world of nothingness, only watching, observing. Then they all but turned with a sneer and walked away and the voice of Peter Gonzales echoed in Nick´s head, repeating the same words as a mantra.
"He was just in the way. Just in the way..."
The voice, however, was shortly replaced by another, a familiar one, and Nick was back in the observation room, this time watching as Nigel Crane mumbled his own mantra. And next to him was Grissom.
"Why me?" Nick asked. And Grissom replied:
"I don´t think it was about you, Nick." He continued speaking, telling something about Maslow´s Hierarchy of Needs. But even though Grissom´s mouth moved, Nick didn´t hear him talking.
It wasn´t about him. He was just in the way.
At that point Nick woke up, sweat running down his back, hands trembling. And the words were still ringing in his ears, making it hard to breath, to even think. Nothing but a cold shower could chase them away. Then Nick crashed on his couch, turning on the TV, and pulled up the blanket, still shivering from the cold water. He fell asleep with the TV still on and was woken only by the ringing of his cell. He had overslept.
xxxx
"Man, this the second time you came in late. You know third time´s a charm, but I don´t recommend trying it. Grissom might get pissed," Warrick spoke, even before Nick had a chance to put down his coat. Nick rolled his eyes, but didn´t smile. He knew only too well that oversleeping would sooner or later result in another "talk" or rather a lecture from Grissom, not to mention Catherine´s concern, or Sara´s jibing. Nick swore to himself he would get another alarm clock and put it into the living room.
"Grissom looking for me?" Nick asked carefully.
"Nah, I covered for you. Told him you got stuck in traffic."
Nick let out a sigh.
"Thanks, man. All I need is a lecture-"
"What lecture?" Both men looked up, startled.
"Speak of the devil," Nick mumbled and flushed at Grissom´s glare, realizing only too late that his chief was proficient in lip reading. But Grissom said nothing, instead he looked at the clipboard in his hand, then tossed it to Nick. The CSI reflexively caught it, a little surprised by the move.
"You´ve got a case, Nick. Warrick, you´re with him. Dead man in the garbage behind the theater. I would advice a shower upon your return." That was all he said, then left.
Warrick and Nick stared after him, then looked at each other.
"He got us." Warrick said.
"Oh yeah," Nick added with a sigh. "Think someone already removed the body?"
"Not a chance," Warrick shook his head. "We told them not to do so dozen of times."
"Maybe we got a rookie," Nick wondered, and Warrick slapped him on the back with a laugh.
"Dream on, bro´. You wanna toss?" Warrick pulled out a coin and this time Nick laughed too, shaking his head.
"Nah, I think I´ll just take the secondary scene. You know, my ribs still trouble me, and I shouldn´t overdo it-" that brought on another slap on the back and both men headed out of the lab.
xxxx
The scene was one they saw too many times. A dark alley behind the theater, lit only by several lamps. The big container that was their prime concern belonged to a Chinese restaurant next to the Theather. Two police cars were already on the scene, the cops securing the alley, closing it off with yellow tape. Warrick and Nick waved to the men standing around, looking bored. They knew them all from earlier encounters, in fact Nick used to hang out with several of them when he wanted to get his mind off work.
"Hey, Charlie. What happened here?" Warrick asked as one of the cops approached them. He shook hands with the fleshy man.
"Warrick. Nick, How´s that thick head of yours?" Charlie asked, looking at the CSI. Nick blinked, trying to not let the irritation show on his face or worse, in his voice.
"It´s better than yours, Charlie. So, what did you find?"
The cop shrugged and turned to the container, glad he wasn´t the one that would lift out the body.
"Some homeless guy was looking inside the container, trying to find some food. He found a body instead. Started screaming, an employee from the restaurant came out to see what was going on. The guy pushed him to the container and showed him the body. And voila, we´re here."
"Have you got any identification?"
"Nah, didn´t want to disturb the scene," Charlie smirked and Warrick rolled his eyes.
"Who´s in charge, anyway?" Nick asked, looking around but unable to locate the detective.
"Here's the chief," Charlie said just as Brass showed up, bending to get under the tape and taking in the scene. He didn´t look happy either.
"Another one oversleeping?" Warrick jibed. Brass shot him a warning look, then nodded at Nick.
"The stupid moron almost ruined my car. I had to call another patrol to take the guy into the drunk tank. I swear he smelled like a wine pub. Idiot, sitting behind the wheel like that."
"Nobody got hurt?" Nick asked in concern. Jim shook his head, letting some of the anger out.
"No, but I probably burned my breaks. You know God protects kids and drunks? Well, I've almost started believing that."
"Bad night, huh?"
"And it only started. What about you? Do you know who this guy is? Or what killed him?"
"I was just going to look," Warrick said with a sigh and slowly made his way to the container, pulling out a pair of gloves from his pocket. Nick followed him. He wasn´t keen to get into the container, but if Warrick needed some help, he would do it without hesitation. After all, they had scenes more gross than this and he didn´t have a problem with that.
"Okay, we'll take a look."
It was one of those open containers without a lid, so it made it easier to get in, but Warrick took extra care not to ruin possible fingerprints on the rim. Nick helped him in and listened as his friend huffed, crinkling his face at the smell of rotting remains of food and such. He heard Warrick using the camera, then cleaning off the body so he could examine it.
"Shit!" Nick jumped at the sudden curse and looked at Warrick, who rose.
"What is it?"
The CSI shook his head in shock and disgust. But there was also something else and Nick felt the shiver run down his spine, as their eyes connected.
"Get out. I want to take a look."
"I don´t think that´s a good idea, bro´," Warick drawled, but got out, knowing only too well that he couldn't hide this from him.
Nick silently asked him for help getting inside the container, his ribs were still sore after all, though once there, he didn´t utter a sound. He just stared at the face screwed up in a mask of pain that even death couldn´t erase, eyes wide and already clouded. He felt the bile rise and practically jumped out of the container, rushing off the scene, toward his car. Once there he fell on his knees and retched, unable to push the face from his mind. It wasn´t so long ago he wished the man dead. The same man that opened all the old scars and let them bleed again, without even knowing it. He heard his voice, saw the same face in the interrogation room and couldn´t help but repeat his own words.
"He was just in the way. Oh God, he was just in the way."
And Nick knew that he wouldn't be able to push it all back, because everything just started.
To Be Continue
A/N: Well, first of all, I´d like to thank my new beta, Sabrina. Without her, there would be much more grammar mistakes:-)
Secondly, thanks for all the reviews that came from you, folks. I appreciate each and every one of them. Keep them coming though, so I can finish this story as soon as possible. For all who want to know, there´s probably four or more chapters, depends on the length of each chapter. Your comments are still awaited, so review.