A/N: Big thanks to my Beta Krystal-You're awesome! And, as usual, thanks for the reviews everyone. I really appreciate everything you have to say!

Disclaimer: I have an idea...all us fanfic writers and readers could club together and buy CSI and I don't just mean the box sets. Any takers?.....no? Then I'll have to be content to just write this for no profit :)

Out of the Closet-Chapter 3

A crowd quickly formed around the closet as word made its way around the campus. The police kept them back behind the yellow tape as they tried to satisfy their morbid curiosity.

Grissom processed the scene, expecting to find nothing. He had informed LAPD that he had jurisdiction due to the links back to Vegas and after a brief altercation, they had allowed him to work freely.

He was just about finished when he discovered a blonde strand of hair. He bagged and tagged it happy in the knowledge that Alyssa Pembrose was getting careless.

He stepped out of the closet and scanned the crowd as the coroner wheeled the body away.

"Dr Grissom."

He turned toward the voice and found Lea Rose's concerned face.

"What's going on?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you anything Lea." He told her truthfully as other students tried to listen in.

"It's just we were worried when you didn't arrive for the lecture."

Grissom had completely forgotten about the lecture when he found the body and it was the least of his concerns now. "Lea, can you tell everybody there won't be a lecture today and perhaps not tomorrow either."

She nodded at him. "Dr Grissom, if there's anything I can do to help you can find me in Fletcher Hall, room 232."

"Right, thanks Lea." When she had gone Grissom took his cell out of his pocket and dialled a familiar number. There were a couple of rings before the female voice answered.

"Willows."

"Catherine, it's Gil."

"Oh hi, how's the college life going for you?"

"Not well actually. I've found Julie Samson dead."

Catherine didn't respond immediately. "Not the same Julie who…"

"Yes, the same girl who disappeared a month ago along with Alyssa Pembrose." Grissom interrupted with a sigh.

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A lengthy phone conversation with Catherine had sapped all Grissom's energies as he attempted to convince her that he was fine handling the case on his own. The constant interruptions from the LAPD were not helping either, and he felt the beginnings of a migraine as he told one particularly inept officer to keep away from the crime scene for the fifth time.

So when Lea returned some time later to check on Grissom's progress and asked if he wanted a coffee again, he agreed.

They stopped at the closest coffee shop and took their orders to go. They were now walking through the local park and enjoying the isolation it provided from the campus.

They strolled along the quiet path between the luscious green trees and Grissom felt the migraine pains dwindle with every step. It really was a pleasant location and he kept thinking about how he would love to share it with Sara sometime.

Although he appreciated Lea's company, it just wasn't as wonderful as it could have been. He reflected on this thought, not really taking in anything Lea was saying about her family or background. He suddenly felt very rude for not listening so made a conscious effort to listen as she described where she grew up in Texas. Her southern accent becoming a little stronger with each memory.

"So what about you Dr Grissom? Where did you grow up?" She asked between sips of coffee.

"I'm not really one for discussing my private life." He replied making it obvious she wouldn't be getting any personal information from him.

"So you won't even tell me if you've got a girlfriend?"

He wondered if her question really was as flirtatious as he thought or if he had imagined that in her tone.

"No." He answered safely.

Her eyebrows rose rapidly. "No you don't have a girlfriend or no you won't be telling me?"

Now that he didn't imagine, she had that same flicker in her eye that Sara had had the first time they met. Definite flirtation. That same flicker that had toyed with his emotions all those years ago, when he knew he shouldn't have been lusting after a student.

Fortunately, for him, there were none of those feelings now but he still blushed at the thought of someone having a crush on him. He decided it would be for the best if they headed back to the campus.

"I think we ought to get back, I've got an autopsy to get to." With that he managed to successfully divert her attention to the case as well as taking the focus off his private life.

"I can't believe someone was killed at my university, it's so surreal. Have you got any suspects?"

"You know I can't tell you anything about an ongoing case."

"I saw you had a hair, that must be useful in building evidence."

"It was a bleached strand."

Lea looked at him blankly before realising what he was saying without actually telling her. "Oh, it said in the book you suggested in class that bleach gets rid of DNA."

He nodded solemnly.

It might not have been as much fun as observing Grissom and Sara in the diner a month ago but this interaction still entertained Alyssa. She took great pleasure in the fact that Grissom had no idea she was looking right at him. Had he known then all her planning and all her surprise would have been spoiled.

It was obvious to Alyssa that Grissom had some kind of rapport with this girl he was talking to, and that was something she could definitely exploit. For now, she was content to stay hidden amongst the trees and not give herself away to the man who occupied her every waking thought.

She would keep tormenting him though until either he cracked or someone stopped her.

TBC