Chapter 9:
Shannon, Catherine, and Grissom had finished briefing everyone about four or five hours ago and Greg now sat in the lab waiting for the toxicology report on the blood Doc Robbins had sent to the lab. He spun on a stool, getting a slight buzz off his lack of equilibrium from the constant rotation. The soft hum of the printer brought him to a halt and he swayed as the room still seemed to spin.
Mia grabbed the paper before Greg even had a chance to stand and sat studying it, her cheek resting on her fist.
"So?"
"Other than his Blood Alcohol Level is three times the legal limit, there's nothing weird." She said as she slid the report across the table.
Greg let out a disappointed sigh. "How about the clothes?"
She tossed a Ziploc bag at him. "Nothing except a little GSR on the back of the shirt."
He pulled the article of clothing out and held it in front of him, studying the outlined pattern of gun-shot residue. "Looks like the killer stuck the gun in Anthony's back before he shoved him into a supine position and shot him in the head."
"Sorry. I know it's not much help."
"Don't worry about it. I know what it's like to not find anything from what they give you. But Bobby D. might be able to tell us what kind of gun the killer used from this muzzle print."
Greg gathered up all the evidence and headed down the hall the to Grissom's office. He always hated being the bearer of bad news.
About halfway there, a banging from the locker room caught his attention. His forehead creased in a frown. All the detectives had been given a list of Anthony's known contacts after the meeting and had teamed up with a few of the CSI's, hoping to find something. Nick, Sara, and Catherine had gone back to the scene in the streambed knowing full well they probably wouldn't find anything after the rain.
He inched his way down the hall towards the noise when a hand on his shoulder startled him. It was Olivia. She, Jen and Sam had come back from jaunt to the Sands, looking for Anthony's dealer and maybe a few answers.
"What's with the stealth-walk Greg?"
He pointed down the hall as another loud bang was heard. "Sounds like someone's beating the crap out of the lockers. I was going to find out who, but I didn't want to get killed in the process."
Olivia smiled grimly; she had an idea of who it might be. "How about we go with you? Strength in numbers and all that."
The three women and Greg quickly made their way to the doorway leading to the lockers and found Elliot with a bloody fist smashed against the side of the lockers.
"Elliot!"
Sam's voice broke his concentration and he immediately pulled his hand back from the dented metal and hid both behind his back. He didn't say anything but just looked at them.
"Uh, dude. What're you doing?" Jen said as she slid her sunglasses to the top her sweaty hair. It was a normal day in Vegas; sweltering hot, and the visiting detectives were suffering.
"Nothing."
Greg's eyebrows went up at the bald-faced lie. "Then what was all that banging we heard?"
He shrugged and Jen reached over and forced his hand from behind his back. His knuckles were swollen and bloody, a blackish-purple bruise beginning to form across them.
"You need to see someone about this."
"It'll be fine. I didn't break anything and I'll just tape it up."
Olivia wrapped a gentle hand around his other wrist and gave it a tug. His other hand came out from behind him, just as bloody as the first. "Fine. We'll just find a first aid kit and clean this up and then I'm going to call Huang."
Elliot wrenched both hands out of the women's grasps and backed up. "I don't need to talk to a shrink and I don't need your help."
Sam took her hat off and slapped it against her thigh. "Great. I just love it when grown men start actin' like five-year-olds."
Greg held the bundles of evidence close to his chest and piped up. "Yeah, man, you're making the species look bad."
A smirk pulled at the corner of Elliot's face before he scowled as Olivia edged closer.
"Listen girls, I'm a lover, not a fighter. Confrontations aren't my thing and I need to talk to Gris." Greg said as he edged towards the door.
Sam plopped her hat back on her head and took some of Greg's load and started to follow him out. "Are y'all sure you can handle this?"
Olivia sighed. "Yeah. This isn't the first time."
Sam simply shook her head and left Jen and Olivia to the problem.
Olivia reached for his hand again and he swatted at it, swinging wide and almost whacking Jen upside the head. She ducked and came up behind Elliot and put him in a Full Nelson. He immediately started to flail.
"Goddamnit! Let me go. I don't need any help and I don't need to talk to no damn psychiatrist. Especially Huang!"
Olivia stuck a finger in his chest and he glared at her as she brought herself nose-to-nose with him. He couldn't get away since Jen still had him in the Full Nelson. Which was amazing in itself, since he was at least four inches taller and easily 50 pounds heavier.
"I know you're pissed about the separation and the case. I know this hits too close to home with you because most of them are child-rapists, but Sam's right. You're starting to act like a belligerent five-year-old."
"I'm not talking to Huang or any other shrink." He growled.
Olivia's phone went off before she could retort. "Benson."
"Hey Liv. It's John. You know where Elliot is?"
"He's right here in front of me. Why?"
"Oh, the twins and George wanted to talk to him and I couldn't reach his cell."
Without even thinking twice Olivia reached into her partner's front pants' pocket and pulled out his phone. She flipped it open and looked at the dark screen.
"No wonder. It's been turned off. Give the phone to Dicky. He can talk to Elliot right now."
She covered the mouth piece and glared at Elliot. "Be nice. Your son wants to talk to you."
He scowled at her more but put a happy tone in his voice as she held the phone to his ear since Jen had yet to let go of him.
"Hey, Dicky. What's up?"
"Nothin'. Uncle John's letting me play on his computer."
"You're at the station?"
"Uh-huh. Kathleen needed to talk to Uncle Fin for her homework and we got to come too. Uncle Don let me have some of his licorice and a donut."
"Your mother's going to love you when you get home."
He heard the phone change hands and the voice raised an octave. "Uncle John let me raid his Twinkie supply. Dad, when are you coming home?"
"Soon Lizzy. How about you give the phone back to Uncle John."
"Sure. Love you."
Olivia took the phone back. "Hey, Munch, get Huang on the line."
She waited a second, explained the problem, and then held the phone out to him and Jen finally released him. He sat heavily on the bench and answered Huang's questions with only monosyllable answers and grunts, clearly not liking the situation. He closed the phone and silently handed it back to her a few minutes later.
"Feel any better?"
"No."
Sam stuck her head in the door. "We okay?"
"For now." Olivia said as she stuck her hands in her pockets.
"I brought the first aid kit." And without saying another word she crouched in front of Elliot and patched up his hands with the speed and efficiency of an EMT and then left.
Jen crossed her arms over her chest. "Get out of here. Go to the gym at the other end of the building, go back to your hotel, hit the shower, or something. I don't want you back here for at least two hours."
Elliot turned his scowl at her.
Jen didn't budge an inch. "Look, I'm a lieutenant and you're a detective. As your superior officer I'm ordering you to leave."
Olivia stood shoulder to shoulder with her. "And as your partner I'm telling you to leave for an hour or two. You need to get out of here Elliot. You're starting to get too attached to the case."
Elliot scrubbed his bandaged hands over his face and through his hair. "Fine. I'll go back to the hotel and catch a nap but then I'm coming right back here."
A smile pulled at the corner of Olivia's mouth. "I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Call George back, too. He said he had some information that might be pertinent to the case."
SVUCSISVUCSISVUCSISVUCSI
SVUNUT85: Man that was a long chappie.
Augusta: We wrote this one as a sort of filler until we come up with the next chappie. We got the idea from an SVU re-run.
SVUNUT85: Writer's Block sucks. Now that we've given you most of the clues, it's time to put the puzzle together.
Augusta shoves SVUNUT85 away from the keyboard.
Augusta: Watch it or you're going to give away the whole ending!
SVUNUT85: Spoilsport. Oh, and thanks to all the people who reviewed.