Cuddy Cabin - I like to give everyone who reviewed a personal thank you - it takes an effort for someone to stop and review a story so I can only return the favour by mentioning you all! So thank you!
CarlyBabes1234 - thx for the review - you'll just have to wait and see if they hook up soon!
A Christy - Thx for your review - I love reading them! I'm posting each chapter fairly quickly cos I've gotten really into this story. I like your stories and I promise to review each one soon - I am quite a slow reader and I have some exams at the moment so they do take priority. I'm not a usual snicker although I do like reading your stories.
I want George - Nice name! Ditto about Nick needing more attention this series - there is so much they could explore with his character. Thx for your review!
Chapter 4"Look closely at this." Katie sat down in front of the computer screen, with Nick stood behind her and she proceeded to play the surveillance tape of the unidentified man leaving the hotel room that Sheila was murdered in. He looked closely and then looked to Katie, who had a hopeful look on her face. "See it?"
"See what?" He was becoming more and more confused by the second.
"Ok, let me zoom in on something." She selected a section of the screen with the mouse and zoomed in on a black mark on the man's arm.
"What is that? Is that a wound?" He was getting no-where.
"Let's zoom it in so I can make it clearer for you." She typed in a few commands on the computer screen and a few moments later Nick let out a laugh.
"A tattoo."
"A Celtic tattoo to be more precise. Eddie was lying to us about his alibi, not that we bought it anyway. He walked out of the room a minute after the murder took place. He had motive to kill her and he had the opportunity. And with this it shows he had the timing."
"It's not enough though, this is just circumstantial. Grissom would throw this out let alone a judge. We need some concrete evidence on him." Katie smiled and Nick in-turn relayed the gesture. "Did you get some, Katie?"
"Well, I had Greg swipe the spit from the interview room that Eddie so kindly discharged. If it matches the DNA sample I got from the knife then we can get him."
"That's great."
Nick and Katie quickly found Greg in his lab, who confirmed that the DNA samples matched. With their evidence proving Eddie killed Sheila they tracked down Brass and within 15 minutes had a warrant from the local judge reciting Eddie Myers' arrest.
The three colleagues drove to Eddie's house, as a uniformed officer had been assigned to make sure Eddie didn't skip town and was situated outside Eddie's small, one-bedroom house on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Brass pulled up in his car, noticing Eddie's car in the driveway, and proceeded to close in on the house in front of him with Nick and Katie close behind.
Brass saw that Eddie's front door was slightly ajar and took his gun out of the holder around his shoulder, ready and cautious for any sign of danger. He led Nick, who had also reached for his gun, into the house. Katie followed behind, with Nick carefully making sure that at any sight of danger Katie would not be harmed. Brass went ahead and left Nick and Katie in the living area, and a moment later they heard him say, "I got him."
The two went to the bedroom to find a flabbergasted Eddie being placed in handcuffs while Brass nodded to a paper bag that was half-stuffed into the closet. Katie quickly pulled out from her back pocket a pair of latex gloves and put them on.
"It's just a few old clothes," Eddie protested, but Katie was not convinced and reached into the bag to pull out a blood-soaked shirt.
Nick smiled, "How much should I bet that the blood will be a match to Sheila's?"
"That bitch got it coming. She was a whore and a back-stabber!" Eddie shouted, as Brass started to lead him to the car.
"We should get this back to the lab just to confirm it is Sheila's blood." Katie gathered up the bag and her and Nick headed back to the crime lab, pleased that they had almost certainly caught the victim's killer.
When they had reached the lab, Katie had Greg obtain the blood sample from the clothes, and he had confirmed to her that the blood and hairs from the clothing matched Sheila's DNA. Nick had been trying to let Eddie confess but the suspect was too concerned with having a lawyer. As Katie entered the interview room, Eddie was still shouting his protests.
"I want a lawyer now!"
Katie sat down next to an exasperated Nick. "Has he confessed yet?" she whispered into his ear. Nick had to think for a moment as the warm breathe on his neck sent a tingle down his back. When he saw Katie waiting for an answer, he hurriedly snapped himself out of his daze and shook his head.
"Well Eddie, you are certainly going to need a lawyer. The traces of blood and hair on your clothing we found match that of your deceased girlfriend. And we have surveillance footage of you leaving the hotel room just after the time of the murder," Katie stated. "Care to explain the evidence?"
"I don't know. Someone must have planted the clothing in my closet and disguised themselves as me."
"And did this person go to the trouble of having the same tattoo as you?" She slid across the table to Eddie a picture of the surveillance tape with the tattoo in full view. "We have motive, timing and evidence that frames you. Don't you think it's time to start telling us the truth? For your own sake."
"Fine I was there. And I killed her. But the bitch deserved it. She was planning to leave me and run off with my money. I saw her talking with a guy in the lobby after she had met her client and I followed her up to the hotel room. I was just planning to talk to her and then she started yelling about how she was leaving me and moving on to a better life. I thought she was having an affair so I was pissed off. I grabbed the knife that I carried in my belt and I stabbed her. I didn't mean to do it but I just got carried away with her screaming so I stabbed her a few more times to get her to shut up." Eddie closed his eyes and Nick saw how relieved he looked to finally tell someone. "I didn't mean to do it. I just got so angry. I loved her."
"You sure found an effective way to shut her up. She wasn't planning on leaving you with that guy in the lobby. He was her brother. You killed her because her brother was persuading her to give up the prostitution," Nick said.
Katie sighed, "Some kind of love, huh?" She gathered up the evidence and gave Eddie one last pitiful look before leaving the room. Nick signalled to the police officer to take Eddie down to the cells and he and Katie headed towards the break room. When they went inside, Katie collapsed on to the couch.
"What a day," she declared.
"That was great work tonight. You're gonna fit in so well here. Grissom will be pleased that you solved your case so fast!" Nick smiled at how exhausted she looked. 'She's really cute. Nick, you can't like her, you work with her,' he thought.
"Well I didn't do it alone. I'm just glad it's almost the end of the shift. I know the job is hard work, I just forgot it's so tiring. I'm glad we got end, it's one less murderer walking the street. At least now her family can bury her."
"Yeah, Marty was so cut up when we spoke to him before," Nick replied. Katie nodded and noticed he had a melancholy expression on his face.
"You ok, Nick? Does this bring back memories?"
"Yeah, but I have to remember it's all in the past and Kristi is probably happy now. Anyway I think you and I make a great team," Nick smiled and she returned the gesture. 'Don't fall for him, Katie. You can't. You have too much responsibility,' she thought. 'But he is pretty hot to look at and that's not a crime'.
The sound of Grissom walking into the break room disconnected the look that Nick and Katie just had and their thoughts. "I heard you two solved your case. Well done, Katie, I knew you and Nick would work well together."
"Thanks."
"Why don't you get off now Katie? Nick can review the file with me," Grissom said as he sat down beside Nick and started signing the papers in his hand.
"My shift doesn't end for another 20 minutes. I could-"
Nick piped in, "Hey, when Grissom's generous you should take it. This does not happen often." Grissom peered over his glasses, "Well, it doesn't."
"For once, he is actually right. Call it a bonus for finishing the case so fast." Katie smiled and thanked Grissom before leaving the room and heading to her locker. Just before leaving she held her gaze on Nick for a moment and smiled when he caught her looking at him. 'Way to go on not falling for him!' she thought.
"How did she get on?" Grissom asked Nick, when he realised the two were alone.
"She was… great. On top of everything, she knew what to do, when to do it and how to do it. I didn't have to tell her anything. She even found most of the evidence herself."
Grissom looked away from his papers and stared at Nick, "She is more than over-qualified for this job. I know, I have seen her credentials. I want you to keep an eye on her when you are working together."
"Why? I hate it when you are so ambiguous, Grissom. Is she in trouble?" Nick looked slightly worried.
"No, I just think she is a… troubled soul. Make sure she is ok on cases."
"I will. She's an amazing person," he sighed, thinking back to the moment she had whispered in his ear and the feeling he had felt.
Grissom noted the look in Nick's eyes and knew that he would definitely be watching Katie very carefully, although he was unsure whether Nick would be looking in the right direction. 'Typical Nick', he thought and contemplated if Nick's crush on their new colleague would amount to anything more.
Thanks for all your reviews - you are all so kind! Chapter 5 is coming very soon…