Frustration

Horatio was walking to his office when he heard a crash of breaking glass and a familiar voice yelling expletives at full volume.

It was Ryan Wolfe.

He heard Eric's voice murmuring something and Wolfe spat something back in a furious voice. He stepped to the side of the doorway so that he could see and hear them. Neither men noticed him.

'Yeah, I know,' Eric said, surprisingly patient. 'But yelling isn't going to solve anything. Nor is breaking lab equipment.'

'I know!' Ryan snarled.

'Hey, hey!' Eric lifted his hands. 'Don't yell at me, okay?

Ryan controlled his temper with extreme effort. 'I'm sorry. This is – just frustrating.' He punched the table in anger. 'That son of a bitch is laughing at us!' He kicked the table for good measure and buried his head in his hands.

'No luck on the case, then,' Horatio said quietly.

Ryan didn't look up. 'None.'

'We'll keep working on it,' Eric said. 'Don't worry about that, H.'

'That's not what I'm worried about,' Horatio said. 'I'm worried about when he'll strike next.'

Ryan closed his eyes, looking defeated. 'I'm sorry, Horatio,' he said. 'We're no closer to catching this bastard than we were last week.'

'Run me through it,' Horatio said.

Wolfe lent on the table, collecting his thoughts. 'We found no useable DNA at any of the scenes,' he said. 'The killer cleaned up after himself with bleach and detergents that destroyed any DNA evidence we might have got. Took the rubbish and the vacuum bags with him each time.'

'Did you check the inside of the vacuum?' Horatio asked.

Ryan nodded. 'Every time. He cleaned that out, too. Really thoroughly. Every surface polished and cleaned, removing all fingerprints. Nothing on any of the door handles, light switches, nothing. I checked the shower, the sink and the pipes for anything he might have missed. I checked the toilet for any trace. I looked through the entire garbage dump for the building, nothing. I went through the dumpsters of the entire damn block and I didn't get anything.'

Eric shook his head. 'He did, H. I don't think he missed a single trash bag on that street. He's clocked up some serious overtime.' He added, 'As have we all.'

'Let me worry about that,' Horatio said. 'Is there anything you might have missed?'

'I have been over every single crime scene,' Ryan said. 'Two, three times. If there was any trace, an DNA, any other evidence, I would have found it by now. There's nothing.'

'Hence your taking it out on lab equipment,' Horatio said dryly.

'Sorry,' Ryan said.

'Don't be,' Horatio said. 'Maybe we need to take a different track with this. Are you still seeing that reporter?'

'No,' Ryan said, scowling.

'Maybe you could drop her a line, ask her to publicise the murders, see if anyone can come forward with information,' Horatio said.

'I thought you didn't like getting the press involved,' Eric said.

'I don't, but right now we need all the help we can get.'

'Have fun,' Eric said to Ryan, grinning. Ryan was not in a mood to be made fun of but he managed a brief shrug. He looked harassed. Eric didn't blame him. Two months since he had come back to work after his injury and Wolfe hadn't settled back into the work.

'What more can we do?' Ryan asked. He looked miserable and frustrated. Eric was reminded that this might be the first serial killer case that Wolfe had worked. Certainly the most disheartening case.

'He'll make a mistake,' he said to the other CSI. 'They always do.'

'And how long will that take?' Ryan asked, angrily, although Eric knew that the anger was not directed at him personally and so didn't rise to it. He shook his head and sighed. 'I'm sorry, Eric,' he said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. 'I don't know what's got into me.'

'No hard feelings,' Eric said. He was feeling as angry as Ryan but hiding it better. He had noticed that Ryan was not so good at hiding his emotions anymore, and Alexx had professed some concern over his inability to keep control. Even Calleigh had commented. Horatio had, as usual, said nothing, just watched.

'Let's go over this again,' Eric suggested, sitting himself down, aware that Horatio had left silently.

Ryan shook his head. 'I've been over this time and time again. There's nothing we haven't done, no lead we haven't followed, no dumpster left unturned. I don't know what to do next.'

'We pound the pavement,' Eric said. 'You get onto Erika. Then you go home and get some sleep – don't think no one's noticed that you've been sleeping here the past two nights. Calleigh and I will take the neighbourhood of the last victim – see if anyone saw anything. Right?'

'I'll speak to Erika but I'll join you – '

'No,' Eric said sharply. 'You're off the clock until tomorrow. You refuse, I'll get Horatio to send you home. Go, Ryan. Come back when you've got some decent rest.'

Ryan considered arguing then tiredness took over and he nodded. He left the lab looking miserable, tired and as rough as Eric felt.

'That was quite a speech,' Horatio said.

Eric smiled. 'Wasn't it? Think he'll go home?'

'Yes. Maybe you should consider practising what you preach, Eric.'

'Maybe,' Eric agreed. 'But I haven't been sleeping here. Calleigh saw him on the chairs in the waiting room when she came in this morning. Nightshift says he was here the night before, too.'

'Fine, fine. Get us some results, Eric. We need them before this guy strikes again.'

'We will,' Eric said grimly.

'Wow,' Erika said. 'You look terrible.'

'Thanks,' Ryan said dryly. 'Nice to know what you think of me, Erika.'

She folded her arms and smiled at him. 'So, what do you want?' she asked. 'You never ring me unless you want something these days. Usually work related, unfortunately.'

He sighed. He really wasn't in a mood to play games with her today. 'The lab wants to put out a report about these murders.'

'Oh, are you allowed to talk to me about them?' she teased, a sharp tone in her voice.

'No,' he said shortly. 'You want details, you talk to my boss. I'm just the messenger.'

'Okay,' she said. 'I get the story, then. You up for dinner some time, Ryan?'

'Not really,' he said.

'Oh, come on,' she touched his shoulder lightly. 'You can show me the scars from your bullet injuries,' she added, smiling.

'I don't think so,' he said in the same short tone. 'I thought I made it clear I wasn't interested in you anymore.'

'Worth a try,' she said without much annoyance. 'But you really do look terrible. When was the last time you slept?'

'Last night.'

'In a proper bed for more than three hours?'

He shrugged. 'Don't remember.'

She shook her head. 'You need to take care of yourself – '

'I don't need your advise,' he snapped.

Erika raised her hands. 'Fine, be like that.' She shook her head at him. 'Honestly, Ryan. I'm just trying to be nice.'

He looked at his watch. 'I'm going home. I'm tired, I need a shower and then to sleep. See you around, Erika.'

'Yeah,' she muttered.

'Having fun?' Calleigh said to Eric, smiling. He wondered how she could be so cheerful. 'I heard Ryan's pretty hacked off. Breaking the equipment, too.'

'The guy needs anger management,' Eric said without rancour. 'At least until all this is over. You found anything?'

'Nothing,' she said. 'No one saw anything or heard anything at the last murder scene. Not a thing. Not even a cat knocking over a garbage can.'

'Great. So we have no evidence, no DNA, not even a single unreliable eye-witness. We haven't moved from where we started. Wolfe's right, that bastard's laughing at us.'

'Not for much longer,' she said confidently.

Eric shook his head. 'How can you stay so cheerful, Calleigh?'

'Sheer effort,' she replied. 'Come on, Eric, calm down. Clear mind, clear eyes see more.'

'Thanks for that pearl of wisdom,' he muttered.

'You're welcome.' Calleigh examined the photographs from the last crime scene. 'Another woman,' she said. 'Similar physical features, roughly the same age. Single, living alone. Not much to connect her to the other victims, but it's a start.'

'It's always a start, then it always ends up a stop,' Eric said. 'Why are you doing this, Calleigh? We've been over this time and time again. All of the murders.'

'Maybe we missed something.'

'The three of us and Horatio have been over all six murders multiple times. What makes you think we all missed something?'

'Nothing,' Calleigh said, ignoring his angry tone. 'But it's always a possibility.'

Eric smiled despite himself at her unfailing optimism and felt himself infected by it.

That feeling of optimism didn't last long, however.