Author's Note: Argh. I lost my beta-ed version of this chapter, so all the errors are mine.
Chapter V
The Same Case
Sara, who had been finishing up in the bedroom heard the scream and she immediately drew her gun. She moved down the hall, heart pounding, "CATHERINE!" The other CSI's voice came from the den. "Get in here Sara." Catherine's voice was not panicked, only highly pissed. Sara holstered her gun and went strait to the den. She came in and immediately saw why Carrol Winters had screamed. The television was on the midnight news on Channel 5. Sofia's cry of "No comment." echoed and the camera panned to a very stoic reporter. "That was Detective Sofia Curtis with the LVPD, while she gives us a no comment, she later went back to the scene with a picture of the girl in question." A picture of Nadine came on the screen. "Nadine Winters was reported missing earlier today. Sources say that the positioning and condition of the body indicates that this was a cult-related killing." Catherine had a sobbing Carrol in her arms. Sara found the remote and turned the television off. "You don't need to see this, Ms. Winters." Her comment only made the woman sob harder.
Only moments later, Sara's cell phone rang. Leaving Catherine with the grieving mother, Sara stepped outside. That was a mistake, because camped outside the door like sharks circling the kill was the press. Sara instantly found herself staring at cameras and journalists. She quickly closed the door. "Damn." A low, cynical chuckle came over the phone. "I guess you'll have your own television spot to go along with mine in a minute, huh." Sara sighed and leaned against the wall. Not that it wasn't good to hear Sofia's voice, she only wished it were in nicer circumstances. "Can you confirm?" There was a sigh, "We're working the same case."
Sara's free hand came up to massage the bridge of her nose. "Catherine's in with the mother. She saw the news." Sofia's curse echoed Sara's own thoughts. They stood there for a moment, sharing a silence. Finally, Sofia sighed, "David's taking the body now. I suggest we all meet back at the labs and try to sort this out."
At two thirty in the morning, Grissom, Catherine, Greg, Sara and Sofia met in one of the lay out rooms. They were quickly joined by Albert Robbins, ME. He looked from one face to another and put his report on the table. "COD is obvious in this one. What is interesting is the mouth. Nadine Winters had braces when she went missing but when she was found, she did not. I examined the inside of her cheeks, and there is the usual scaring that goes along with orthodontic work. The cut on her lower lip is extremly ragged. Someone removed the braces with a pair of shop pliers, I think." He sighed, "There were no defensive wounds, and the tox screen hasn't come back yet, but I am pretty sure that she was not drugged. It looks like she went willingly."
Grissom frowned, "She may know her killer." He looked to Catherine. The woman went stiff. "It's not the mother and the father lives in Carson City." She turned to Sofia, "And thanks for going on the news, by the way, the mother saw that. Hell of a way to break the news, Curtis." Grissom held up a hand to silence her. "One of the women who found the body was a reporter, she called it in, Catherine. We're not going to play the blame game here. We've got a case to work." Catherine looked up, "Who's got it?" Sofia shrugged, "Vega and I will be working the case together for the moment." That was, of course, not what Catherine had been asking.
Sara rolled her eyes. Catherine was already getting attached to the victim, not to mention that Catherine would not pass up an opportunity to work a high profile case. Grissom frowned, "Catherine, you, Sara and Greg will take this one." Catherine nodded, "It looks like tonights going to stretch into tomorrow."