Note: Thanks for the R & R . I honestly appreciate the feedback!
Special Note: To Alison for being the wonderful beta you are!
Olivia had dark brown hair braided into one long pony tail that trailed along the center of her back and met at her waist. She wore faded jeans and a dark blue football jersey with the number 17 printed in large white letters on the front.
Sara had to wonder, if the girl turned around, would she see the name Giles printed along the back? How many teenage girls wore their best friend's jersey?
Olivia ignored her dad and stared with trepidation at the two imposing figures sitting in the booth. Her eyes darted from Grissom to Sara, settling onto Grissom when she spoke.
"My mom told me that you are trying to find Andy." The girl's dark eyes were brimming with tears and the dark circles beneath her eyes betrayed the fact that she had not slept in some time.
"Elaine Giles asked for our help," Grissom admitted. Sara was touched by the gentle manner in which he was speaking to the girl. His eyes had appraised her fragile emotional state and his voice reflected the softer side of him that few were privileged to witness.
"Wait a second!" Clayton's voice shook with anger and he shot Grissom an accusatory look. "You want to interrogate Olivia?" Disbelief edged the man's question.
"Interrogation is a strong word." Grissom kept his face blank, but his voice firm. "Olivia and Andrew are best friends. We are hoping she can tell us something that will help us find both him and Kyle."
Olivia sat on the edge of the seat next to Grissom who was forced to unlock his elbows and scoot over to give her more room.
Sara studied the girl as she stared at the table top, her fingers tracing an imaginary line along the wooden surface.
"Olivia," Sara refrained from taking the girls hand in her own to stop the nervous movement. "Did Andrew say anything to you about the camping trip?"
Olivia paused in her tracing, but kept her eyes lowered. "He wasn't excited about going on this trip like he usually is and ---." Olivia's words trailed off as she hesitated, unsure if she should continue.
"And what, Olivia?" Sara pressed.
Olivia's eyes flickered from Sara to Grissom.
"I thought it was strange that they didn't take Mattie. Usually Andy can't wait to show Mattie all of the rocks and animals that they find when they go camping. When I asked him if Mattie was excited about the trip, Andy told me that he wasn't going." The tears that had been brimming in her dark brown eyes spilled over and rolled onto her cheeks. "When I asked him why, Andy got mad and yelled at me."
Olivia wiped at the tears with the back of her hands. "Andy never got angry with me before. He would laugh at me, but I'd never heard him yell at me."
"I think this interrogation is over, Mr. Grissom." Clayton settled a firm hand on the girl's frail shoulder and Sara took note of the way Olivia tensed from the contact.
"I don't know anything else that could help you." Olivia told them in a whisper. "Please find Andy." Olivia touched Grissom's arm briefly before scooting out of the booth and walking towards the back door, her shoulders slumped.
Sara watched her walk away and frowned as something about the girl's dejected shoulders gnawed at her mind.
Clayton stared after Olivia with a thoughtful expression, before turning back to the table. "I didn't know about Olivia and Andy having an argument. She doesn't talk to me very much these days."
"Clayton," Grissom said with a new found determination in his voice and manner. "Do you have any idea why Andrew would have acted so strange about this camping trip?"
"I've known that boy since he was five, Mr. Grissom. Andy has never been anything but open and cheerful. He's the kind of kid that makes you smile simply by being around him." Clayton ran a big hand through his hair, spiking it up in spots.
"Did Andrew have any other close friends that you think he would have confided in?" Sara asked the man before he decided to bolt.
"Well, Andrew had friends everywhere, like I told you." Clayton stared at her with confusion lighting his eyes. "If he was going to confide in anyone then I imagine it would have been Olivia."
"Thanks, Clayton." Sara slid from the booth. "Say, we may be staying in town tonight. Would you recommend a hotel or motel?"
"The best place around here is the Calienta Springs Motel. You could probably get a room this time of year with no problem."
As Clayton was giving them directions, Bess reappeared with a carry out box which she handed to Sara.
"We didn't have any left overs, Bess." Sara's protest was waved off as Bess was insistent.
"This is a little dessert," Bess replied. "You could consider it appreciation for helping Elaine find Kyle and Andy."
Sara remained skeptical. They had not made any advancement in locating the missing man and his son. She swallowed her doubts and thanked Bess for her thoughtfulness before following Grissom out into the cool Nevada night.
"Smells good." Grissom commented as he ambled past her to the Tahoe.
"You want to drive, Grissom? I'm exhausted from the drive here." Sara moved around to the passenger side without waiting for Grissom's reaction.
Taking the keys from his pocket, Grissom narrowed his alert eyes onto her face.
"I thought you were looking peaked." Grissom waved towards the car and motioned for them to get inside. "I thought that you were insistent on staying at Elaine's house tonight."
He could not keep the smugness from his voice and did not try to hide it from Sara who was giving him a good natured grin.
"Did you notice how relieved she was when I said that we wouldn't be back this evening?'
"Yeah. And did you notice the relief on my own face when you said that?"
Sara chuckled at his teasing tone and the fact that he was sincere. She wondered what he would say about getting rooms at the nearby motel for the night.
"Would you rather drive back to Vegas, Grissom? We could take the samples to Greg as soon as we get back in to town."
Grissom knew she was exhausted. No matter how much she would claim she could sleep in the car it was not the same as stretching out in a warm bed. Not that her small frame took up much room in a bed..Looking away from her quickly, he pushed the thought away. He had already played on the edge too much tonight, recalling mental images that were better left in the past. Being alone was his motto. He lived by it. It was the life that he chose.
"We can get rooms tonight." Grissom relented. "I'd like to get the meeting with Nan and Tom over with as early as possible and then we can drive back to the lab."
Sara was looking forward to the meeting as Grissom so factually worded it. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that it would delay their taking the evidence to Greg.
"Greg gets off work at seven, Grissom. Remember?"
"I'll call him and ask him to meet me some place when we get back into town. He can take the evidence in with him as it is off the record. It won't raise as much suspicion as me strolling in there with a box and taking it directly to Greg. Everyone would ask questions."
The motel was quaint and they were fortunate to take two of the last four rooms that were available. Grissom thanked the manager and took both sets of keys, handing one to Sara.
"It appears that we are on the same hall."
"Yeah, but I'm in murder central." Sara joked.
Grissom reached over and grabbed the key from her hand, replacing it with his own.
"Now, I am."
Sara watched his retreating back. All the years and the man never failed to surprise her with his mood swings. Sliding the key in the door, Sara stepped into her room and looked around. It did not have much in the way of elegance, but it was sufficient. Walking to the bed she crawled onto the top of the covers, not caring that she had not sprayed it with her disinfectant. She did not care. Within seconds she settled into deep sleep.
TBC
Olivia had dark brown hair braided into one long pony tail that trailed along the center of her back and met at her waist. She wore faded jeans and a dark blue football jersey with the number 17 printed in large white letters on the front.
Sara had to wonder, if the girl turned around, would she see the name Giles printed along the back? How many teenage girls wore their best friend's jersey?
Olivia ignored her dad and stared with trepidation at the two imposing figures sitting in the booth. Her eyes darted from Grissom to Sara, settling onto Grissom when she spoke.
"My mom told me that you are trying to find Andy." The girl's dark eyes were brimming with tears and the dark circles beneath her eyes betrayed the fact that she had not slept in some time.
"Elaine Giles asked for our help," Grissom admitted. Sara was touched by the gentle manner in which he was speaking to the girl. His eyes had appraised her fragile emotional state and his voice reflected the softer side of him that few were privileged to witness.
"Wait a second!" Clayton's voice shook with anger and he shot Grissom an accusatory look. "You want to interrogate Olivia?" Disbelief edged the man's question.
"Interrogation is a strong word." Grissom kept his face blank, but his voice firm. "Olivia and Andrew are best friends. We are hoping she can tell us something that will help us find both him and Kyle."
Olivia sat on the edge of the seat next to Grissom who was forced to unlock his elbows and scoot over to give her more room.
Sara studied the girl as she stared at the table top, her fingers tracing an imaginary line along the wooden surface.
"Olivia," Sara refrained from taking the girls hand in her own to stop the nervous movement. "Did Andrew say anything to you about the camping trip?"
Olivia paused in her tracing, but kept her eyes lowered. "He wasn't excited about going on this trip like he usually is and ---." Olivia's words trailed off as she hesitated, unsure if she should continue.
"And what, Olivia?" Sara pressed.
Olivia's eyes flickered from Sara to Grissom.
"I thought it was strange that they didn't take Mattie. Usually Andy can't wait to show Mattie all of the rocks and animals that they find when they go camping. When I asked him if Mattie was excited about the trip, Andy told me that he wasn't going." The tears that had been brimming in her dark brown eyes spilled over and rolled onto her cheeks. "When I asked him why, Andy got mad and yelled at me."
Olivia wiped at the tears with the back of her hands. "Andy never got angry with me before. He would laugh at me, but I'd never heard him yell at me."
"I think this interrogation is over, Mr. Grissom." Clayton settled a firm hand on the girl's frail shoulder and Sara took note of the way Olivia tensed from the contact.
"I don't know anything else that could help you." Olivia told them in a whisper. "Please find Andy." Olivia touched Grissom's arm briefly before scooting out of the booth and walking towards the back door, her shoulders slumped.
Sara watched her walk away and frowned as something about the girl's dejected shoulders gnawed at her mind.
Clayton stared after Olivia with a thoughtful expression, before turning back to the table. "I didn't know about Olivia and Andy having an argument. She doesn't talk to me very much these days."
"Clayton," Grissom said with a new found determination in his voice and manner. "Do you have any idea why Andrew would have acted so strange about this camping trip?"
"I've known that boy since he was five, Mr. Grissom. Andy has never been anything but open and cheerful. He's the kind of kid that makes you smile simply by being around him." Clayton ran a big hand through his hair, spiking it up in spots.
"Did Andrew have any other close friends that you think he would have confided in?" Sara asked the man before he decided to bolt.
"Well, Andrew had friends everywhere, like I told you." Clayton stared at her with confusion lighting his eyes. "If he was going to confide in anyone then I imagine it would have been Olivia."
"Thanks, Clayton." Sara slid from the booth. "Say, we may be staying in town tonight. Would you recommend a hotel or motel?"
"The best place around here is the Calienta Springs Motel. You could probably get a room this time of year with no problem."
As Clayton was giving them directions, Bess reappeared with a carry out box which she handed to Sara.
"We didn't have any left overs, Bess." Sara's protest was waved off as Bess was insistent.
"This is a little dessert," Bess replied. "You could consider it appreciation for helping Elaine find Kyle and Andy."
Sara remained skeptical. They had not made any advancement in locating the missing man and his son. She swallowed her doubts and thanked Bess for her thoughtfulness before following Grissom out into the cool Nevada night.
"Smells good." Grissom commented as he ambled past her to the Tahoe.
"You want to drive, Grissom? I'm exhausted from the drive here." Sara moved around to the passenger side without waiting for Grissom's reaction.
Taking the keys from his pocket, Grissom narrowed his alert eyes onto her face.
"I thought you were looking peaked." Grissom waved towards the car and motioned for them to get inside. "I thought that you were insistent on staying at Elaine's house tonight."
He could not keep the smugness from his voice and did not try to hide it from Sara who was giving him a good natured grin.
"Did you notice how relieved she was when I said that we wouldn't be back this evening?'
"Yeah. And did you notice the relief on my own face when you said that?"
Sara chuckled at his teasing tone and the fact that he was sincere. She wondered what he would say about getting rooms at the nearby motel for the night.
"Would you rather drive back to Vegas, Grissom? We could take the samples to Greg as soon as we get back in to town."
Grissom knew she was exhausted. No matter how much she would claim she could sleep in the car it was not the same as stretching out in a warm bed. Not that her small frame took up much room in a bed..Looking away from her quickly, he pushed the thought away. He had already played on the edge too much tonight, recalling mental images that were better left in the past. Being alone was his motto. He lived by it. It was the life that he chose.
"We can get rooms tonight." Grissom relented. "I'd like to get the meeting with Nan and Tom over with as early as possible and then we can drive back to the lab."
Sara was looking forward to the meeting as Grissom so factually worded it. The only thing that bothered her was the fact that it would delay their taking the evidence to Greg.
"Greg gets off work at seven, Grissom. Remember?"
"I'll call him and ask him to meet me some place when we get back into town. He can take the evidence in with him as it is off the record. It won't raise as much suspicion as me strolling in there with a box and taking it directly to Greg. Everyone would ask questions."
The motel was quaint and they were fortunate to take two of the last four rooms that were available. Grissom thanked the manager and took both sets of keys, handing one to Sara.
"It appears that we are on the same hall."
"Yeah, but I'm in murder central." Sara joked.
Grissom reached over and grabbed the key from her hand, replacing it with his own.
"Now, I am."
Sara watched his retreating back. All the years and the man never failed to surprise her with his mood swings. Sliding the key in the door, Sara stepped into her room and looked around. It did not have much in the way of elegance, but it was sufficient. Walking to the bed she crawled onto the top of the covers, not caring that she had not sprayed it with her disinfectant. She did not care. Within seconds she settled into deep sleep.
TBC