Chapter Three

"What do you expect to gain from visiting Prosper again? He's not going to tell us anything. He's too smart for that and he's not about to be intimidated by our presence on his doorstep." Nick asked as he attempted to keep up with Grissom's long strides.

"I'm not expecting him to reveal anything. I just want to observe him when we ask him about Rae Lynn Michaels. Observation is a key part of our job, Nick. You should know that." Grissom replied.

A variety of emotions were coursing through Grissom as they entered the door of Prosper's office. Normally, he wasn't one to follow his gut because he knew that it could be misleading, but he had no doubt in his mind that Levi Prosper was involved up to his eyeballs in this case as well as the Sanford case. He was determined to not let him get away again this time.

Jill, the blonde secretary, was sitting at her desk. Her perfectly manicured fingernails were clicking softly against the computer keys as she worked. She looked up when the scientists approached and smiled brightly.

"Hello again." she greeted.

"Hello." Grissom said in turn. "We'd like to speak with Dr. Prosper. It's rather urgent."

"I'm sorry, but Dr. Prosper's not in today. However, he left something on my desk that he wanted me to give to you." Jill opened a drawer and pulled out a package. She handed it to Grissom with a smile.

"He left this for me?" Grissom was surprised. This was something he had not been expecting. He shot a glance at Nick and noticed that the younger man's face was a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Yes. He left a note that clearly indicated that this was for you and that you'd be expecting it. He also asked me to apologize on his behalf for not being able to meet you in person." Jill told him.

"Do you know when he'll be back in the office?" Grissom asked.

Jill shook her head. "He just said that he would be out of town for a couple of days. Family emergency."

Grissom nodded his thanks and then turned to leave, feeling uncertain.

Once outside, Nick said, "If he knew we were coming, he must have had a role in Morrison's disappearance. But why would he tip his hand like that? He didn't a month ago, so why would he do it now? Doesn't make any sense." Nick sighed.

"It may not make sense to us, but he must have some reason for doing so. Everything that man does is carefully calculated." Grissom answered as he raised the package in his hand.

Nick eyed it wearily. "What do you think that is?"

Grissom responded by opening the package carefully. After examining the contents, he cocked a curious eyebrow at Nick and allowed him to look inside.

"Another video? I hope it's not like the last one. It took me days to get those images out of my head." Nick said wearily.

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Grissom answered.

The lights in the AV lab were dimmed so they could view the tape properly. Nick fidgeted on his stool and exhaled slowly as if steeling his nerves for the worst. Grissom sensed his uneasiness and had to admit to himself that even he was apprehensive. After all, there was no telling what was on this video. It could contain anything from a taunting message to the brutal murder of Stan Morrison.

He pressed play and sat for a few seconds in expectation, waiting to see what would happen. Finally, Levi Prosper appeared on screen. He was seated at his desk, dressed impeccably in a black suit and tie. He portrayed the same self-confident air that he had possessed a month ago as he leaned back slightly in his chair and began to speak.

"Mr. Grissom, I am sorry that I could not meet you and Mr. Stokes in person. No doubt you have some questions for me. I apologize that I couldn't be there to answer them personally, but I hope that this tape will clear some things up for you."

"I know you're investigating the disappearance of someone and in your pursuit of the suspect, who is also missing, you have landed on my doorstep once again. I use the term 'suspect' lightly because you will soon learn who the true victims are. So who is it that you're searching for? Stan Morrison? Max Bridgeford? Laura Alcott? Paul Brooks? Evan Harris? Jackie Travers? Kenneth Bowlin? I suppose it doesn't really matter. I know where they all are and I know why they have been taken. It is because they have been found guilty and just like Thomas Sanford, they will pay for their crimes."

Nick's breath caught in his throat. Was Levi telling the truth? Could all those people really be missing? The magnitude of their case had just increased exponentially. He stole a glance at his boss and noticed how intently Grissom was staring at the screen, taking in every word Prosper uttered.

"Why have these people been found guilty? I know a man such as yourself needs an explanation and I'll be happy to provide you with the details of their crimes. Let's start with Stan Morrison. He got into a dispute with his best friend and ended up killing George Parsons two months before he was supposed to be married to Rae Lynn. Stan, with that mighty temper of his, looked his friend in the eye and pulled the trigger. He should be in jail yet he walks free and Rae Lynn, who should be embarking on a life of wedded bliss, is left alone to pick up the shattered pieces of her life. Tell me, is that fair?"

Levi shifted in his chair and leaned forward, placing his arms on the desk. "William Belanger co-owned an auto repair warehouse with Max Bridgford. It was quite a lucrative business and Max decided that he no longer wanted to be just a partner. Will had a few habits, namely drinking and gambling, that Max exploited to his own advantage. One night, Max invited Will to join him in a friendly game of poker. After getting Will sufficiently drunk, he got his partner to bet his half of the company. Max won the game and made his partner sign over his half of the business that night. Will lost everything because his partner had succumbed to the sin of greed. Tell me, is that fair?"

"Martin and Laura Alcott have been married for seven years. They have two children. Matthew is four and Allison is six. One day, Laura decides that she's had enough and leaves Martin, taking the children. Believe me when I say that the divorce is messy. Laura takes the stand and makes all these claims against Martin, saying that he's abusive and an unfit parent. She pulls out all the stops, painting herself as the picture perfect victim. Martin, a decent, hardworking man, is stripped of his parental rights and now is suddenly unable to see the children he so dearly loves. Tell me, is that fair?"

Levi pushed his chair back and took up position in front of his desk. He sat on the edge and folded his arms across his chest with an air of angry determination. His eyes never wavered as they stared straight ahead into the camera. The amount of emotion in his voice increased as he continued to state his case.

"Denise Dayton scheduled a routine surgery for her father Norman. Everything should have gone smoothly, but it didn't and Norman died. No reasonable explanation for her father's death could be given by the surgeon, Dr. Paul Brooks, so she filed a malpractice claim. Denise is poor and couldn't afford the best attorney and the hospital's legal defense was too good. Needless to say, she lost her case. Not to mention thousands of dollars and her beloved father. Tell me, is that fair?"

"Maggie Hawkins believed that Evan Harris was a friend until the night he raped her. Her life fell apart. Here was someone who was supposed to be her friend and he violated her. She was too afraid to go to the police. Too ashamed of what people would say if they found out what had happened. What kind of world do we live in that makes the victim of crimes such as these feel guilty and afraid to go for help? So this man, this vile creature, continues to plague her in reality and in her dreams. Tell me, is that fair?"

Levi began to pace back and forth, all the while maintaining eye contact with the camera. He seemed to be staring right into Grissom's eyes as he spoke. "Quentin Bowlin finally felt that he had found the woman he wanted to share the rest of his life with in his girlfriend, Jackie Travers. The night that he planned to propose to her, she ran off with Quentin's brother Kenneth. He swooped in with his good looks and smooth talk and swayed the heart of the woman Quentin loved. He lost the one thing he had going for him because of his brother. Imagine the betrayal he felt. Imagine the sorrow. Tell me, is that fair?"

Throughout his narration, Levi's voice had changed, becoming all the more deadly. Under his cool exterior, it was obvious that a raging fire was burning. He paused for a moment to collect himself before continuing. "When I found these people, they were lost and without a purpose. I gave them one."

"My people, those you would dare to call 'suspects', have suffered so much. I saw their pain. I have felt their pain. I have lived it. Their pain is my pain. I did not want them to suffer alone like I did. Instead, I gathered them under my wing with the plan to bring them to a place where they can receive healing. I am giving their suffering and pain a voice. It is only by punishing those who have caused them such unjust pain that they can truly heal. People who have no regard for others, who torment them, who cause others pain for sport, must be punished. Our world is dark and cruel, but we can make it better by ridding it of those who are evil. This is my desire, and it is my hope that others will see what we have done and follow in our footsteps. This is not just about the pain of a few people. We want the same thing for everyone who has ever been denied justice. Is that too much to ask?"

"There is so much violence and cruelty in the world, Mr. Grissom. You of all people should know that given what you do. You're faced with crime on a daily basis. Though Mr. Stokes may take pleasure in throwing the occasional bad guy behind bars, there are many who escape their just desserts. Injustice takes place all around us and the guilty go free. No one punishes them. For some reason, the law cannot do it. Surely, you understand. I am not much different than you. Our goals are the same. Bad people should be punished for their crimes and I will see to it that they will be punished. If they weren't, chaos would reign supreme with each man doing as he saw fit in his own eyes."

Levi spoke with such a passion that it was abundantly clear to Grissom that they were not dealing the average criminal. This man was an ideologist who clearly believed that what he was doing was right and could change the world. That made him all the more dangerous because he had carefully laid plans and he had surrounded himself with people who had fallen for his beliefs hook, line, and sinker. No doubt they would be willing to lay it all on the line for Levi.

"Let me leave you with these last few words." he said. "I prefer to think of them as a caution rather than a warning. Do not try to stop me. You cannot. The wheels of Fate are turning and Justice will not be thwarted. Not even by you."

The screen went dark and the two men sat in silence, absorbing the words they had just heard.

"Do you think that he's telling the truth? Are all those people missing? That's thirteen people if you include the suspects." Nick said.

"Seventeen. I'm assuming that Allison and Matthew Alcott are also missing. Levi Prosper's gone as well and I'm confident that Nathan Sanford is with them all." Grissom replied as he continued to stare at the screen where Levi's face had just been.

"That's unbelievable." Nick whispered breathlessly. "All those people. Gone just like that because of one man."

Suddenly exhausted, Grissom placed his head in his hand. "And it's going to be a massacre if we don't find them soon."