Note: Thanks to everyone who had been reading. Also, thanks for your
patience.
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"I'm hungry," Mattie informed them as soon as they were outside of the school and standing beside Grissom's Tahoe.
Sara smiled. "I'm sure that your mom will have lunch for you."
"No, she won't." Mattie secured his jar of roaches between his feet on the floorboard. "She isn't home. She probably won't be home until after three."
Grissom exchanged looks with Sara.
"We could speak with Bess and Olivia again, Gris."
"And eat lunch." Mattie enthused.
-------------------------------- -----------
Grissom wondered if the entire town was eating lunch at Clayton's. Silence swept the room giving them each a sense of de'ja vu. Bess greeted them with a questioning look at Mattie.
"What are you doing out of school, young man?"
Mattie looked around him at the blatant stares and stepped closer to Grissom.
"I was suspended." He pushed his auburn hair out of his eyes. "My uncle is buying me lunch."
Grissom was strangely pleased by these words and placed a supportive hand on Mattie's shoulder. Sara was oddly touched by his actions and smiled warmly.
"Do you have a table for us?" Grissom asked.
Bess smiled weakly. "There is a booth in the back."
She led them to the same table where they had been seated the previous evening. Several people spoke to Mattie on their way to the table and in turn he mumbled replies as he kept his eyes straight ahead.
When they reached the booth, Grissom excused himself to go to the restroom.
Sara sat in the booth, opposite Mattie.
"You okay?"
The boy started to nod when a beeping sound spilled across the table. He paused and quickly reached to his watch to push a button. When he looked up, tears were swimming behind his dark lashes.
"It's synchronized with my dad and Andy. Dad gave us watches last year and set them so we could all have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time."
A waitress approached their table and took orders for drinks. After she left, Mattie shot a reproachful look around the restaurant.
"They all think that my dad took off with my brother." Mattie watched as Grissom walked slowly back towards the table. "My dad would never do that to me. He promised that he would never leave."
Grissom caught the last bit of Mattie's statement. He slipped into the booth next to Sara and wondered if he should say anything. He had only been half Mattie's age when his dad vanished. The memories were fewer and less painful.
Mattie stared at them for a long minute. "If you knew my dad, then you would know that something has happened to him. He would never run away."
"I'm sure that's true." Sara responded.
The waitress returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Grissom surprised Sara by picking a five vegetable plate. Ordering the same, Sara turned to Mattie.
"Have you decided what you would like?"
"Chicken fingers and fries, please."
Mattie propped his chin on his fist and swirled a straw around his glass of root beer with his other hand.
"He was trying to help Andy." Taking a sip of his drink, he took the straw and chased an ice cube. "Andy was acting weird lately. I heard my dad and him arguing the day before they went camping. Andy didn't want to go, but my dad said it would do them good to get away for the weekend."
Grissom glanced over at Sara. Reading his expression, Sara spoke as carefully as she could.
"Mattie. I want you to know that we believe you and we want to help find your brother and your dad." Sara hesitated. "Mattie? Is there anything else that you can remember that could possibly help us?"
Mattie let go of the straw and looked up at her through worried eyes.
"I think that Andy was doing drugs." He paused a beat and searched Grissom's face for a response. "He was acting strange."
"Did Andy say anything to you in particular?" Grissom asked. He wondered how he should ask a kid if his brother had any specific enemies. If he knew who may have wanted him to vanish. It was much easier when you knew that you were not related to them. He studied the child and felt a tugging at his heart. He scowled without thinking about it, but Mattie did not appear to notice.
"Andy yelled at me once." Mattie said with such sadness that he touched their hearts. "He felt terrible and said that he wasn't himself. He told me that he would get better." Mattie fought back the tears. "Andy told me that he messed up, but that dad was going to help him fix it."
Sara resisted the urge to push Grissom out of the booth so that she could enfold the boy into her arms. The feeling was foreign to her and she was not sure that she liked it. This was a case. Mattie was a possible witness to the disappearance of his dad and brother. She could not allow herself to become emotionally attached to him.
Mattie looked up at her with those blue eyes and she steeled herself. She reminded herself how many cases they had investigated where the children ended up being the killers. When Mattie gave her a little smile, she took a deep breath. Grissom was watching her with a strange expression. Ignoring him, she focused on Mattie who appeared to have pushed back his doubts with his next words.
"They will be back. I'm sure that they will be back." With what had to be described as denial, Mattie somehow pushed away any other possibility and dared them to correct him.
Sara entertained the possibility that Kyle could have taken Andy away for rehab. Would Elaine have known if he had? He would not keep that from her or his family. If they knew, then why would Elaine and Nan call Grissom? Dismissing the idea, Sara decided to talk to Bess while they waited for lunch.
"Will you let me out, Gris? I'm going to say hi to Bess." And, run away from the blue eyes that surrounded her at this table.
Grissom scooted out of the booth to let her out and then watched as she weaved her way around the tables to find Bess.
"I like your girlfriend." Mattie broke the silence.
He jumped back as Grissom snapped, "She's not my girlfriend."
"Sure, whatever." Mattie took another sip of his drink and gave him a knowing nod. "She's pretty."
That was safe enough. "Yes, she is beautiful."
"And nice." Mattie continued.
"Very nice." Grissom sighed in relief when their lunch was set on the table in front of them. He looked around for Sara, and spotted her in conversation with Bess.
-------------------------------------------- --
Bess did not appear happy to see Sara's approach. In fact, she was ready to turn and flee when Sara's voice stopped her cold and several patrons turned to stare.
"Bess. I would like to speak with you." Sara had noticed the wild look around and the woman's readiness to abandon her post near the front door. She kept her tone friendly, yet determined, and hoped that Bess would speak with her.
Speaking softly, so that the closest table would have to strain to hear what was said, Sara decided to go straight to the point.
"You gave me that note about Scott Hanson because you know drugs were involved in Kyle and Andy's disappearance." Sara watched the anxious look Bess was directing in all directions.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Bess said at last.
Sara had to work to keep her voice steady and her demeanor calm. "You are worried about Olivia. You know that she was involved with Hanson and that he got her into drugs."
Any pretense of friendliness fled. "Olivia would never do anything so stupid. She may have tried to help Andy. That's all."
"You knew that Andy was experimenting with drugs?"
Bess appeared stunned by her own admission. "No. I didn't say that."
"What's going on here?" Clayton's rumbling voice interrupted any response Bess may have made in addition to her denial.
Sara automatically straightened her shoulders and held her chin up.
"I was."
"Miss Sidle was just thanking me for the apple pie that I sent with them last evening."
Sara narrowed her eyes, but held her tongue as Bess sent her a pleading look. Clayton put an arm around Bess's shoulder and together they walked towards a side door.
Returning to the booth, she slowed and took in the sight of Grissom and Mattie. They were conversing between bites of food and the annoyance she felt with Bess faded as the image before her drew closer.
Mattie held a fry in each hand, as he appeared to ask Grissom a question.
Grissom caught her watching them and made a point of sliding over in the booth to make room for her to slip into the seat beside him.
He raised an eyebrow in question and she shook her head in the negative.
"So, what were you two men talking about so seriously?" Sara tried to hide her earlier irritation and smiled brightly across the table.
Mattie returned her smile. "I was asking Uncle Gil if he likes cockroaches."
"Oh, I see." Sara nudged Grissom with her elbow. "And, did Uncle Gil tell you he races hissing cockroaches for a hobby?"
Mattie's eyes widened. "Is that true?"
A flicker of surprise lit Grissom's eyes as he turned from Sara to Mattie. "They are called Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches or Gromphadorhina portentosa. They make a nice pet." He smiled slightly. "They are also fun to take to race competitions."
"I would like to see that." Mattie breathed out with a sigh.
Grissom's cell phone took that instance to ring. He pulled it out, glanced at the caller id on the panel, and then chose to ignore it. He placed it on the table between his and Sara's plate and pushed a mute button. Sara glanced at the name and saw that it was Catherine.
"It may be important." She nodded towards the phone.
"If it was an emergency she would page me and put in 911. It's not important."
Sara wondered why he was making a point of ignoring a phone call from his second in command and his good friend. Was he trying to tell her something with his actions?
Grissom continued to confound her when he opened his mouth. "There is a race next month in Humboldt Forest. Maybe you can go with me if it is okay with your mom."
Excitement spilled over onto the boys face. "That would be cool."
Sara sent Grissom her widest smile. He tilted his head slightly and absorbed it while keeping his attention on the boy. He told him about his prize racers and they continued eating in compatible silence that was intermingled with Mattie's peppering of questions regarding entomology.
When it was time to leave, Mattie's mood shifted perceptively. His chatter ceased the closer they got to his home and stopped all together as they pulled into the driveway beside a black Mercedes Benz.
"Do you know whose car that is?" Sara asked.
Mattie frowned. "That's Mr. Hanson's car." He pulled his jar of cockroaches close to his chest after climbing out of the car. "What's he doing here?"
Grissom and Sara were asking the same question as they followed him to the front door. Mattie pushed the door open and stormed inside, his face registering his displeasure.
Almost immediately he stopped.
Grissom and Sara also froze as they stepped into the foyer behind him.
Hanson had both of Elaine's upper arms in his grasp and he was speaking in a low voice. Mattie dropped the jar he was carrying, startling everyone, and practically flew across the room.
In a blur, Hanson dropped his hands and pushed at the flying derby. Mattie was propelled backwards, his fall halted by Grissom. Sara stepped in between Elaine and the angry man, who seemed to realize that his conversation with Elaine would have to wait. He walked quickly to the door, but stopped before leaving.
"Keep in mind what I told you, Elaine." Hanson glowered at Sara and then Grissom before slinging the door open and slamming it behind him.
Grissom kept his hands on Mattie's trembling shoulders and inspected the shocked expression on Elaine's face with curiosity.
"Are you okay, Elaine?" Sara touched the woman's arm and frowned when blank eyes returned her stare.
"I'm fine." Elaine wrapped her arms around herself and tried to stop the shaking.
Mattie did not move from his spot in front of Grissom. "Why was that man here?"
Elaine appeared to notice her son for the first time. "What are you doing home so early?'
She looked from Mattie to each of the adults and back.
"I was kicked out of school for four weeks." Mattie pushed his hands into his pockets and remembered the catalyst for his suspension. He turned and searched for the jar of roaches and sighed with relief when he found the lid still intact.
"Kicked out of school." Elaine repeated. "What did you do this time?" Elaine's eyes dropped to the jar that was filled with crawling bugs. "Oh, Mattie, you didn't."
Grissom watched the interactions before him with a studious expression. Elaine frowned at Mattie and then transferred her frustration onto Grissom. "What do you have to do with this? Why is Mattie with you?"
"We were at the school when we encountered Mattie," Grissom replied.
"Why were you at the school?" Elaine was clearly perplexed. She knew that they had visited Nan and Tom that morning and had thought they would be back in Vegas by now.
"We should probably discuss that, Elaine, but not now." Sara gave a pointed look towards Mattie.
Elaine did not turn to Mattie when she spoke. "Go to your room, Mattie." Her tone boded no reproach and with one quick look towards Grissom, Mattie complied, cradling his jar of roaches carefully against his chest.
TBC
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"I'm hungry," Mattie informed them as soon as they were outside of the school and standing beside Grissom's Tahoe.
Sara smiled. "I'm sure that your mom will have lunch for you."
"No, she won't." Mattie secured his jar of roaches between his feet on the floorboard. "She isn't home. She probably won't be home until after three."
Grissom exchanged looks with Sara.
"We could speak with Bess and Olivia again, Gris."
"And eat lunch." Mattie enthused.
-------------------------------- -----------
Grissom wondered if the entire town was eating lunch at Clayton's. Silence swept the room giving them each a sense of de'ja vu. Bess greeted them with a questioning look at Mattie.
"What are you doing out of school, young man?"
Mattie looked around him at the blatant stares and stepped closer to Grissom.
"I was suspended." He pushed his auburn hair out of his eyes. "My uncle is buying me lunch."
Grissom was strangely pleased by these words and placed a supportive hand on Mattie's shoulder. Sara was oddly touched by his actions and smiled warmly.
"Do you have a table for us?" Grissom asked.
Bess smiled weakly. "There is a booth in the back."
She led them to the same table where they had been seated the previous evening. Several people spoke to Mattie on their way to the table and in turn he mumbled replies as he kept his eyes straight ahead.
When they reached the booth, Grissom excused himself to go to the restroom.
Sara sat in the booth, opposite Mattie.
"You okay?"
The boy started to nod when a beeping sound spilled across the table. He paused and quickly reached to his watch to push a button. When he looked up, tears were swimming behind his dark lashes.
"It's synchronized with my dad and Andy. Dad gave us watches last year and set them so we could all have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the same time."
A waitress approached their table and took orders for drinks. After she left, Mattie shot a reproachful look around the restaurant.
"They all think that my dad took off with my brother." Mattie watched as Grissom walked slowly back towards the table. "My dad would never do that to me. He promised that he would never leave."
Grissom caught the last bit of Mattie's statement. He slipped into the booth next to Sara and wondered if he should say anything. He had only been half Mattie's age when his dad vanished. The memories were fewer and less painful.
Mattie stared at them for a long minute. "If you knew my dad, then you would know that something has happened to him. He would never run away."
"I'm sure that's true." Sara responded.
The waitress returned with their drinks and asked if they were ready to order. Grissom surprised Sara by picking a five vegetable plate. Ordering the same, Sara turned to Mattie.
"Have you decided what you would like?"
"Chicken fingers and fries, please."
Mattie propped his chin on his fist and swirled a straw around his glass of root beer with his other hand.
"He was trying to help Andy." Taking a sip of his drink, he took the straw and chased an ice cube. "Andy was acting weird lately. I heard my dad and him arguing the day before they went camping. Andy didn't want to go, but my dad said it would do them good to get away for the weekend."
Grissom glanced over at Sara. Reading his expression, Sara spoke as carefully as she could.
"Mattie. I want you to know that we believe you and we want to help find your brother and your dad." Sara hesitated. "Mattie? Is there anything else that you can remember that could possibly help us?"
Mattie let go of the straw and looked up at her through worried eyes.
"I think that Andy was doing drugs." He paused a beat and searched Grissom's face for a response. "He was acting strange."
"Did Andy say anything to you in particular?" Grissom asked. He wondered how he should ask a kid if his brother had any specific enemies. If he knew who may have wanted him to vanish. It was much easier when you knew that you were not related to them. He studied the child and felt a tugging at his heart. He scowled without thinking about it, but Mattie did not appear to notice.
"Andy yelled at me once." Mattie said with such sadness that he touched their hearts. "He felt terrible and said that he wasn't himself. He told me that he would get better." Mattie fought back the tears. "Andy told me that he messed up, but that dad was going to help him fix it."
Sara resisted the urge to push Grissom out of the booth so that she could enfold the boy into her arms. The feeling was foreign to her and she was not sure that she liked it. This was a case. Mattie was a possible witness to the disappearance of his dad and brother. She could not allow herself to become emotionally attached to him.
Mattie looked up at her with those blue eyes and she steeled herself. She reminded herself how many cases they had investigated where the children ended up being the killers. When Mattie gave her a little smile, she took a deep breath. Grissom was watching her with a strange expression. Ignoring him, she focused on Mattie who appeared to have pushed back his doubts with his next words.
"They will be back. I'm sure that they will be back." With what had to be described as denial, Mattie somehow pushed away any other possibility and dared them to correct him.
Sara entertained the possibility that Kyle could have taken Andy away for rehab. Would Elaine have known if he had? He would not keep that from her or his family. If they knew, then why would Elaine and Nan call Grissom? Dismissing the idea, Sara decided to talk to Bess while they waited for lunch.
"Will you let me out, Gris? I'm going to say hi to Bess." And, run away from the blue eyes that surrounded her at this table.
Grissom scooted out of the booth to let her out and then watched as she weaved her way around the tables to find Bess.
"I like your girlfriend." Mattie broke the silence.
He jumped back as Grissom snapped, "She's not my girlfriend."
"Sure, whatever." Mattie took another sip of his drink and gave him a knowing nod. "She's pretty."
That was safe enough. "Yes, she is beautiful."
"And nice." Mattie continued.
"Very nice." Grissom sighed in relief when their lunch was set on the table in front of them. He looked around for Sara, and spotted her in conversation with Bess.
-------------------------------------------- --
Bess did not appear happy to see Sara's approach. In fact, she was ready to turn and flee when Sara's voice stopped her cold and several patrons turned to stare.
"Bess. I would like to speak with you." Sara had noticed the wild look around and the woman's readiness to abandon her post near the front door. She kept her tone friendly, yet determined, and hoped that Bess would speak with her.
Speaking softly, so that the closest table would have to strain to hear what was said, Sara decided to go straight to the point.
"You gave me that note about Scott Hanson because you know drugs were involved in Kyle and Andy's disappearance." Sara watched the anxious look Bess was directing in all directions.
"I have no idea what you are talking about," Bess said at last.
Sara had to work to keep her voice steady and her demeanor calm. "You are worried about Olivia. You know that she was involved with Hanson and that he got her into drugs."
Any pretense of friendliness fled. "Olivia would never do anything so stupid. She may have tried to help Andy. That's all."
"You knew that Andy was experimenting with drugs?"
Bess appeared stunned by her own admission. "No. I didn't say that."
"What's going on here?" Clayton's rumbling voice interrupted any response Bess may have made in addition to her denial.
Sara automatically straightened her shoulders and held her chin up.
"I was."
"Miss Sidle was just thanking me for the apple pie that I sent with them last evening."
Sara narrowed her eyes, but held her tongue as Bess sent her a pleading look. Clayton put an arm around Bess's shoulder and together they walked towards a side door.
Returning to the booth, she slowed and took in the sight of Grissom and Mattie. They were conversing between bites of food and the annoyance she felt with Bess faded as the image before her drew closer.
Mattie held a fry in each hand, as he appeared to ask Grissom a question.
Grissom caught her watching them and made a point of sliding over in the booth to make room for her to slip into the seat beside him.
He raised an eyebrow in question and she shook her head in the negative.
"So, what were you two men talking about so seriously?" Sara tried to hide her earlier irritation and smiled brightly across the table.
Mattie returned her smile. "I was asking Uncle Gil if he likes cockroaches."
"Oh, I see." Sara nudged Grissom with her elbow. "And, did Uncle Gil tell you he races hissing cockroaches for a hobby?"
Mattie's eyes widened. "Is that true?"
A flicker of surprise lit Grissom's eyes as he turned from Sara to Mattie. "They are called Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches or Gromphadorhina portentosa. They make a nice pet." He smiled slightly. "They are also fun to take to race competitions."
"I would like to see that." Mattie breathed out with a sigh.
Grissom's cell phone took that instance to ring. He pulled it out, glanced at the caller id on the panel, and then chose to ignore it. He placed it on the table between his and Sara's plate and pushed a mute button. Sara glanced at the name and saw that it was Catherine.
"It may be important." She nodded towards the phone.
"If it was an emergency she would page me and put in 911. It's not important."
Sara wondered why he was making a point of ignoring a phone call from his second in command and his good friend. Was he trying to tell her something with his actions?
Grissom continued to confound her when he opened his mouth. "There is a race next month in Humboldt Forest. Maybe you can go with me if it is okay with your mom."
Excitement spilled over onto the boys face. "That would be cool."
Sara sent Grissom her widest smile. He tilted his head slightly and absorbed it while keeping his attention on the boy. He told him about his prize racers and they continued eating in compatible silence that was intermingled with Mattie's peppering of questions regarding entomology.
When it was time to leave, Mattie's mood shifted perceptively. His chatter ceased the closer they got to his home and stopped all together as they pulled into the driveway beside a black Mercedes Benz.
"Do you know whose car that is?" Sara asked.
Mattie frowned. "That's Mr. Hanson's car." He pulled his jar of cockroaches close to his chest after climbing out of the car. "What's he doing here?"
Grissom and Sara were asking the same question as they followed him to the front door. Mattie pushed the door open and stormed inside, his face registering his displeasure.
Almost immediately he stopped.
Grissom and Sara also froze as they stepped into the foyer behind him.
Hanson had both of Elaine's upper arms in his grasp and he was speaking in a low voice. Mattie dropped the jar he was carrying, startling everyone, and practically flew across the room.
In a blur, Hanson dropped his hands and pushed at the flying derby. Mattie was propelled backwards, his fall halted by Grissom. Sara stepped in between Elaine and the angry man, who seemed to realize that his conversation with Elaine would have to wait. He walked quickly to the door, but stopped before leaving.
"Keep in mind what I told you, Elaine." Hanson glowered at Sara and then Grissom before slinging the door open and slamming it behind him.
Grissom kept his hands on Mattie's trembling shoulders and inspected the shocked expression on Elaine's face with curiosity.
"Are you okay, Elaine?" Sara touched the woman's arm and frowned when blank eyes returned her stare.
"I'm fine." Elaine wrapped her arms around herself and tried to stop the shaking.
Mattie did not move from his spot in front of Grissom. "Why was that man here?"
Elaine appeared to notice her son for the first time. "What are you doing home so early?'
She looked from Mattie to each of the adults and back.
"I was kicked out of school for four weeks." Mattie pushed his hands into his pockets and remembered the catalyst for his suspension. He turned and searched for the jar of roaches and sighed with relief when he found the lid still intact.
"Kicked out of school." Elaine repeated. "What did you do this time?" Elaine's eyes dropped to the jar that was filled with crawling bugs. "Oh, Mattie, you didn't."
Grissom watched the interactions before him with a studious expression. Elaine frowned at Mattie and then transferred her frustration onto Grissom. "What do you have to do with this? Why is Mattie with you?"
"We were at the school when we encountered Mattie," Grissom replied.
"Why were you at the school?" Elaine was clearly perplexed. She knew that they had visited Nan and Tom that morning and had thought they would be back in Vegas by now.
"We should probably discuss that, Elaine, but not now." Sara gave a pointed look towards Mattie.
Elaine did not turn to Mattie when she spoke. "Go to your room, Mattie." Her tone boded no reproach and with one quick look towards Grissom, Mattie complied, cradling his jar of roaches carefully against his chest.
TBC