A Nightmare in Seattle
Pairing: Sara and Nick (Snickers)
Deanna introduces her team to her cousin and his girlfriend. The investigation of Nigel Crane begins.
Disclaimer: I don't own Nick, Sara, or any other CSI: Vegas character. I own the character Deanna and the other Seattle CSIs.
Introductions and Investigations
"Deanna, driving with you is like driving with Greg Sanders," Nick said. "Was it necessary to yell at the driver for cutting you off?"
"Nicky, I went to college with that fucking bozo," Deanna explained. "We were in some biology and chemistry classes together. He was so annoying that I wanted to render him unconscious at times. He now works for some major biotech company and we cross paths on a regular basis. Would you like me to sic Nigel on that dork after we arrest him?"
"No way in hell are you going to sic that doofus with that psycho!" he protested. "Deanna Marie Giroux-O'Hara, I forbid you to do such a thing!"
Nick, Sara and Deanna entered the building. Deanna went to the reception area.
"Good morning, Ms. Giroux-O'Hara!" the receptionist said. "What can I do for you?"
"I need two visitor passes for my cousin Nick Stokes and his girlfriend Sara Sidle," Deanna said. "They are crime scene investigators from Las Vegas. They came to help the CSIs here with an investigation."
"I just need their badges and ID," the receptionist smiled as Nick and Sara showed her their credentials. "Here are your passes. Don't lose them! Stay with Ms. Giroux-O'Hara! Have a nice day!"
"Thank you," the three of them replied. "You, too!"
Deanna led Nick and Sara to an elevator and pressed the desired floor. When they got off, she took them to her office.
"This is the start of the tour of the crime lab," Deanna said. "This is my office. I know that it's not big, but it suits me fine."
"Who's that on your dartboard?" Sara asked looking at a picture of a forty something woman on the dartboard with two darts pinned at her face.
"That's the nightshift supervisor," Deanna chuckled. "She is a board certified bitch of the worst kind. She hates my shift's supervisor and dayshift."
"She is just like Conrad Ecklie," Nick said. "He is the supervisor on days and he hates Gil Grissom and the rest of the graveyard shift."
"Ecklie, that name sounds like a species of reptile," Deanna cringed. "Maybe it sounds like some mutant form of pond scum."
"Deanna, is that one of Amber or your sisters?" Sara asked looking at a photo of a little girl.
"That's Deanna when she was two years old," Nick said.
"She was a cute little girl," Sara smiled.
"Yeah, she was," Nick smirked. "She is a beautiful young woman who can kick anyone's ass. Sara, you are also beautiful and you can kick ass, too!"
"Hey, we still have a little time before I have to drag your asses to the weekly meeting," Deanna said. "Believe me, you will be crawling up the walls when you sit through these meetings. It's the case meetings that are more stimulating. I'll give you a tour of the place. I understand if all this may be familiar, but I want you to get to know the place while you are visiting CSIs."
"Lead the way, Dee Marie," Nick said.
She took them to the trace lab first. She showed them the equipment and tools. They proceeded to the DNA lab. The next lab visited was fingerprints. Nick asked about the garage and Deanna took them there. Sara requested the next lab was the A/V lab. Deanna explained to Nick and Sara that sometimes the A/V techs confused the lab's TV and DVD player for the one in the break room. She caught one tech watching of all things 'Jaws' on the lab set. The lab tour was concluded with Deanna's favorite lab, Questionable Documents. She explained that all though her main specialty is analyzing organic evidence, she loved to annoy the QD people with suspicious looking documents. The official tour was concluded with a visit to the break room. She heard the call for the meeting and told her cousin and his girlfriend to follow her to the conference room. Just as they were about to enter the room, a man in his late twenties and of Japanese descent with spiky hair approached them.
"Deanna, we have been waiting for you," he said. "Who are these two people?"
"Level One CSI Alan Sakai, this is my cousin Nick Stokes and his girlfriend Sara Sidle," Deanna explained. "They are both CSIs from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Nick and Sara, this is Alan Sakai. He can be a pain in the ass at times. He is also two cases shy of becoming a Level Two CSI."
"He kind of reminds me of Greggo," Sara whispered to Nick and he tried to suppress a chuckle.
"Deanna is one of the best CSIs in King County," Alan said. "Just stay on her good side and you will be fine."
"Alan, she's my cousin!" Nick protested. "I know her quirks and hang ups!"
They entered the conference room and a few more people entered. Deanna introduced her colleagues to Nick and Sara before everyone took their seats. A forty something man stood up and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention.
"I had just got a phone call from a Detective Jim Brass from the Las Vegas Police Department," he said. "He told me that a Nigel Crane had escaped from a Nevada prison a few days ago and is in Seattle. He also mentioned that Nigel's cellmate told him that he planning to torment the cousin of one of the CSIs in Las Vegas. Speaking of Vegas, we have here two of their CSIs here. Sara Sidle and Deanna's cousin Nick Stokes are going to tell us about Mr. Crane's background."
"Nigel Crane is a 40 year old convict," Sara started. "He worked for Luna Cable for 11 years before he was arrested for stalking, murder and attempted murder. He started stalking a young woman named Jane Galloway. He hung out in her attic, drilled holes into her ceiling, tapped her phone line and did some voyeuristic things to her. She had a job that she was driven to quit, cancelled all but one of her credit cards and went on a scared woman's shopping spree to protect herself from the menace. She locked herself in her house and was killed by Mr. Crane with a plastic bag."
"When we did the investigating," Nick said. "I noticed that Jane Galloway was posed as if she was about to puke her guts out over the toilet. Her killer dyed her hair red. I stared at her for a few moments because the position she was in reminded me of a photo of my prom date when she became sick. I didn't see the connection between the poses until I went home and checked my email. My prom date sent me an email with photos of her having fun on prom night. Then I noticed a picture of her hovering over the toilet and it seemed familiar. I knew that Nigel broke into my email account and read my email. I immediately changed my password."
"Our colleagues, Gil Grissom and Catherine Willows told us that it could have been someone who came by to service something in the home," Sara said. "We asked utility workers, movers, carpet installers and phone company people. Nick and our other colleague Warrick Brown went to Nigel Crane's house to ask him some questions about his whereabouts the night that Ms. Galloway was killed. Warrick had to answer the phone and left Nick alone. Nick went inside where there was a trail of red drops on the floor leading to a cabinet door that he opened and found a red stained glove. He heard a noise and look for the source. Nigel came and threw Nick out of the second story window."
"I was unconscious when I was taken to the hospital," Nick said. "I suffered a concussion, two cracked ribs, a sprained and got five stitches on my forehead. While I was still in the hospital Grissom and Catherine went to Nigel's apartment and found his video collection. I was released after I woke up and was ordered by the doctor to get plenty of rest and not to work. Warrick and Sara helped bring me home, but I asked them about the glove that I found before the attack and was chastised since I was supposed to rest."
"After Warrick and I brought Nick home to rest," Sara continued. "We went back to the crime lab where we watched videotapes of Nigel's disturbed thoughts and voyeuristic viewings. It was when Catherine noticed that Nigel had a copy of our in-house newsletter 'Crimestoppers' that had Nick's picture and article about him on the front page that prompted us to see the final videotape of the collection. He was asking Nick if he would let him stop his heart. That was when we knew that Nick was in danger and we sent Jim Brass and two uniforms to his place."
"Meanwhile, I was very sore from the attack," Nick said. "I took my meds and went to my couch hoping to sleep. There was a knock on my door and I answered it. It turned out to be the psychic hired to help with the Galloway investigation. I asked him to leave, but he sensed that I was in danger. I grabbed my gun and he went up to my attic. I was calling out his name several times and no answer. Suddenly, something comes crashing through my ceiling and it was the body of the psychic. Next thing I knew, Nigel Crane lands on his feet on my floor, we see my gun and he grabs it. He spent sometime terrorizing and toying with me until Brass and the uniforms busted into my house. I was freaking out and on the verge of crying. The uniforms subdued and arrested Nigel while Brass tried to calm me down."
"Nigel Crane is very dangerous," Sara added. "When we learned of his escape and eventual arrival in Seattle, we weren't sure if he was also armed. I highly suggest that we have more uniforms around the investigation. Also, there should be some officers around the O'Hara house at all times. The SWAT team should be used as a last resort."
A cell phone rang and the owner picked it up.
"Cameron!" the detective said. "I'll let the team know!"
"That was Serena," Cameron said. "One of Deanna's neighbors reported a strange man lurking around the neighbor."
"Shit! That definitely is Nigel!" Nick exploded. "If he even thinks of laying a hand on Deanna or her family, I'll kill him with my bare hands."
"Nicky, calm down," Deanna said. "We don't know if it is Nigel or not. It could be someone not familiar with my neighborhood. We have people on this and you are helping us."
"Deanna, you shouldn't be involved in this," Athena Spanos, a Level One CSI with said.
"Athena, I outrank you and I am getting involved whether everyone here likes it or not," Deanna protested with a thick Louisiana twang. "I will work with my cousin and Ms. Sidle."
"Okay, but if you do something to Mr. Crane without provocation," Cameron said. "I will have you removed from the case. If that happens, I'll have Mr. Stokes and Ms. Sidle brief you on their findings."
Deanna smiled and nodded. Nick gave her a look saying 'you are so busted'. She shot him a glare and he got the message.
A few moments later, Detective Cameron along with Athena, Alan, Nick, Sara and Deanna were on their way to the O'Hara's neighborhood. They were joined by at least a dozen uniforms just in case if Nigel Crane was around the premises. Sara and Nick joined Deanna in her Sequoia. As Deanna drove, she was glad that Zach was at work and their daughters were in day care. She would skin Nigel alive if he harmed her husband and/or sweet little angels. When they arrived at Deanna's street, the Sequoias were parked and everyone got out. Athena and Alan went to scope the neighborhood while Detective Cameron went with Deanna, Sara and Nick. After Deanna learned which of her neighbors made the call to the police, she led her group to the house and rang the doorbell. A woman in her mid 60s answered the door and recognized the younger women in front of her.
"Deanna, are you okay?" she asked. "You're home from work early."
"Mrs. Klein, I am fine," Deanna replied with a smile. "The crime lab got a call about some guy wandering around the area."
"I called them after seeing this strange man scoping around," Mrs. Klein said as she looked at the three other people with her neighbor. "You didn't introduce me to these three people."
"Oh, where are my manners?" Deanna gasped. "This is Detective Cameron, he's with the Seattle Police Department. That's my cousin Nick Stokes and his girlfriend Sara Sidle, they are CSIs with the Las Vegas Crime Lab."
"Isn't this out of your jurisdiction, Mr. Stokes and Ms. Sidle?" Mrs. Klein asked.
"This investigation has a Las Vegas connection," Nick gently pointed out. "We have reason to believe that the guy that was wandering around here is an escaped felon from a Nevada prison."
"Oh dear!" Mrs. Klein gasped. "Why don't you come in since you have questions to ask me? I just made some cakes and I could make some tea or coffee."
"Cakes are fine," Deanna said. "However, we don't want to trouble you for coffee and tea. Water would be fine."
"I will have the treats ready," the older woman smiled. "Please, have a seat!"
The detective and the three criminalists sat on the dining room chairs. Mrs. Klein carried a tray with five glasses and a pitcher filled with water with ice cubes. She went back to the kitchen to cut some slices of some of the cakes. She placed the slices on a large plate, placed the plate on another tray and put a few small plates on the plate near the larger one. She brought to her guests.
"Nicky, once she finishes describing that man," Deanna said to her cousin softly. "Promise me you won't jump to conclusions about him being this Nigel Crane guy."
"I promise," Nick replied. "I'll keep an open mind."
After Mrs. Klein had settled, everyone was eating the slices of cake and sipping the water. Deanna asked the older woman to describe the man to the best of her ability. Nick volunteered to take notes on the statements. He nearly dropped the pen when the woman's description of the suspicious man, but he promised his cousin that he wouldn't infer anything based on the descriptions. Nick and Deanna had a look at Mrs. Klein's top floor ceiling with her consent. They didn't find any holes drilled except for the ones for the hooks to hang plants or mobiles. After they finished eating and drinking, they thanked Mrs. Klein for her hospitality and assistance.
"Athena and Alan, what have you found out?" Deanna asked when she saw them approaching her group.
"Some of your neighbors saw a man with dark hair, glasses and wearing an orange jumpsuit," Alan said. "A teenage boy said he could hear that guy mumbling 'I am one, who am I?' several times."
"Another one of my neighbors gave us the same description," Deanna said. "Did you ask my neighbors if you could have a look at the top floor ceiling for drilled holes? The hooks on the ceiling to hang plants or mobiles don't count."
"We did," Athena sighed. "However, we didn't see anything suspicious looking. I think we should have a look at your house, Deanna."
"That won't be necessary," Deanna protested. "Athena, you know that my attic is full of clutter."
"Deanna, don't you think it's better to be safe than sorry," Sara tried to reason with her boyfriend's cousin. "If you want, Nick and I will go with you."
"I am having a few uniforms accompany the three of you," Cameron said.
Nick felt his blood boil at the similarities of the descriptions of the creep lurking about in his cousin's neighborhood. It also irked him that they have to worry about holes in the attic. He went with Sara, Deanna and the uniforms to the O'Hara house to look for suspicious looking holes. When they didn't find any, they left the house and Deanna reset the security code and locked the door.
They silently returned to the crime lab in time for an impromptu phone conference with the Las Vegas Crime Lab.
TBC
Post Chapter A/N: Reviews are always appreciated for this and my other stories! Just click on my name and then the story. So remember to tip your waiters/waitress and I will be here whenever I can!