Chapter 3

Calleigh gently shook Horatio's shoulder to wake him up. His cell phone was ringing.

"MMM what's the matter, Calleigh?" Horatio asked sleepily as he rubbed at his eyes.

"Your phone's ringing Handsome," Calleigh replied with a smile. Horatio rolled over and grabbed it.

"Caine yes we will be right their."

"What is it Horatio?"

"Another scene it's a double homicide at a neighborhood pool Eric is all ready on the scene."

"I will be ready in ten minutes Calleigh replied as she climbed out of bed and headed for the shower with Horatio following behind her.

"I wish we could have a shower together he whispered huskily in her ear. Calleigh shivered in delight then threw him a glare for tempting her. They were out the door and in the hummer in record time.

"Horatio, Calleigh," Yelina greeted as they walked up.

"Hey Yelina what have we got?" Calleigh asked.

"Same scene as before accept there are two victims. Thirty one year old Leah Quinn and Lisa Umbridge. They are twins and often hung out together their husbands are being contacted right now," Yelina explained as they all walked towards the pool. Alexx explained that the MO was the same for these two victims. Calleigh knelt at the edge of the pool and appeared to be looking intently at something.

"Hey can you hand me those tweezers, Horatio?" Horatio just nodded and handed her the requested object. Calleigh grabbed the piece of paper and placed it into an evidence bag.

"What does it say?" Eric asked as he walked up. Speed and Ryan joined them curious about what Calleigh was holding.

"It says eight letters down eight to go, and I was wrong nine will die. Have fun solving the puzzle."

"I wonder what it means eight letters down eight to go?" Speed asked thoughtfully. Everyone was just as curious as Speed. They continued to process and collected what little bit of evidence they could.

It had been three days since the last scene and everyone was wondering if the killer had given up. Horatio walked into the break room with a smile his team was lounging in different ways. Speed and Eric were playing a videogame and having fun insulting each other. Ryan was reading a book and Calleigh and Alexx were chatting quietly in a corner.

"What's up H?" Eric asked.

"We have two double homicides. Calleigh and Eric you will come with me. Ryan and Tim here's your slip."

"Same as the others?" Ryan asked. Horatio just nodded as they all got up to get their kits and head to their respective scenes.

Horatio and Calleigh were processing the bodies of Emily Evans and Irene Samuels while Eric took photos.

"Got anything Eric?" Calleigh asked.

"Yeah can you bring me the powder to do footprints, Cal?"

"Sure here you go," Calleigh replied flashing him a megawatt smile. Just then Horatio's cell phone rang.

"Horatio Caine."

"Hey H It's Speed. There is a note it says that all of the letters were used and that there is one more sweet innocent woman who will lose her life."

"Hmm I just hope that we can discover who that woman is before she dies," Horatio says.

"Alexx says to tell you that she will be at your scene as soon as she is finished processing Gina Nickels and Hollie Emerson."

"Ok do you know if they are related to each other?"

"No just live in the same neighborhood what about you're two?"

"Emily Evans and Irene Samuels are not related as well. Finish processing and then take your evidence in and log it in. After that go home it's been a long day I'll see you tomorrow."

"All right see you then Horatio," Speed said as he hung up and went back to his evidence. Horatio hung up and noticed that Calleigh was rubbing her head and had a pained expression on her face.

"Are you ok, Calleigh?" Horatio asked softly.

"I have a head ache but other than that yeah I guess."

"I tell you what I will catch a ride back with Eric you go ahead and take your evidence back and go home and get some rest, ok sweetheart?"

"Ok thanks Horatio," Calleigh replied as she gave him a quick kiss.

"Maybe try a warm bath?" Horatio suggested.

"Yeah that or a nice relaxing dip in the pool," Calleigh replied.

"Ok but be careful," Horatio replied as he watched Calleigh walk off.

"Hey H where's Cal going?" Eric asked.

"She's not feeling well so she's heading back and I will ride back with you, ok?"

"Sure thing Boss," Eric replied.

Horatio was not surprised to still find his team at the lab when he walked into the labs after calling Calleigh. He was relieved that she had gotten home safely. She had told him that she was going to swim for a bit and he promised to be home as soon as possible. "Hey find anything you guys?"

"Hey H no not really," Speed commented. Eric and Ryan shook their heads in defeat.

"Well go home and get some rest guys," Horatio replied.

"No I want to work on this a bit more," Eric said. Ryan and Speed had identical looks of determination on their faces. Horatio just nodded and walked back up to his office to finish some of the mountain of paper work he had to do.

"Something about these names is bugging me. It's like there is a hidden clue," Speed said thoughtfully.

"A clue what do you mean?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah what are you talking about?" Eric asked. Speed got up and began to write all of the names down on the board.

"Well first their was Cathy Daniels, then Allison Underwood, then Leah Quinn, Lisa Umbridge, Emily Evans, Irene Samuels, Gina Nickels, and Hollie Emerson."

"Yeah something seems off," Eric replied, looking at the names thoughtfully.

"Hold on a minute Speed let me see that pen," Ryan asked. Speed nodded and tossed the pen to Ryan. Ryan got up and wrote the females first names in a line then their last names underneath that.

"Hold on a minute I think it spells something," Eric said as he got up and pointed at the names in turn.

"What are you talking about," Speed asked thoughtfully as he stared at Eric with a confused look on his face.

"Cathy starts with a C Allison with an A Leah with an L Lisa with an L Emily with an E Irene with an I Gina with a G and Hollie with an H." Ryan gasped as he saw the pattern.

"Um guys I think I just figured out the final piece of the puzzle," Ryan said softly.

"What is it?" Eric asked. Speed's eyes widened as he to figured out the significance between the letters. He turned to Ryan and saw the same shocked look on his face that he was sure was on his own.

"The names spell out Calleigh Duquesne," Speed explained.

"Oh my god she's the ninth girl!" Eric cried as he jumped up from his seat and ran out of the lay out room with the others on his heels.

Horatio looked up in surprise as the door to his office was flung open so hard that a framed picture of the team fell off of the wall. Horatio looked up at the concerned faces of his team.

"H we have a problem the ninth girl is Calleigh!" Eric said.

"What are you talking about?"

"We all thought that their was something with the names and finally after playing with them for a bit we discovered that they all spell Calleigh Duquesne," Speed added. Horatio reached for his phone and dialed a very familiar number.

"Come on Calleigh please pick up," Horatio begged silently.

"Any answer H?" Ryan asked. Horatio shook his head as he dialed her cell phone.

"No answer at either phone," Horatio said as he jumped up and with the rest of his team ran out of the office, calling to Alexx on the way to get to his and Calleigh's ASAP.

"We have to find her on time," Speed said.

"I will find her if that's the last thing I do," Horatio said fiercely as he got into the hummer, barely giving the rest of the team time to climb in before flooring it and driving out of the parking lot like a bat out of hell praying for the safe return of his girl friend.

TBC?