A/N: csialltheway and icklebitodd, thanks for your reviews on chapter 6! Hope everyone likes seven!
---------------
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of CSI or its characters. That honor goes to the good folks over at CBS.
Title: The Rocking Horse: Part 2
---------------
"Oh, hell no!" Warrick mumbled, lifting his shoe up from the ground and looking at the sole of his right foot. "Oh, that is just so fantastic," he sighed, noting the crushed peanut shells, the straw, and his all-time favorite bar decoration, vomit, lining the creases of his brand-new shoe. "This is just great," he repeated, putting his foot back down. "Watch your step, Cath, and I don't just mean for the sake of the evidence," he told his colleague, cracking a slightly disgusted smile as he bent over to collect a sample of the still-wet liquid.
Catherine held back a laugh, noting the expression on Warrick's face. She was all too familiar with what happened when grown men—because it had to be grown men—could not hold their liquor. She could only imagine what riding a mechanical bull would do to someone who was already inebriated, and having a difficult time with balancing on both legs. Chuckling, she bent over, and resumed her search of the ground just under the mechanical bull.
Next to her, Warrick carefully but efficiently dusted the bull's exterior for prints, making sure to cover every inch for possible pieces of evidence. "Do you know how many people must use this thing a night?" he asked, shaking his head. "I bet at least dozens and dozens," he mused.
"Probably," his colleague replied. "But that's okay. You know, Rick," she said, "That bull's head couldn't have gone far. I mean, wouldn't you notice someone walking around town with a bull's head under one arm?"
Warrick grinned. "Well… this is Vegas," he replied, "Where anything goes. But still, someone must have seen something," he added, securing his most recent fingerprint findings. "And if they didn't, you're right. It still has to be in the area. Look, I'm going to print the people in the bar, and we'll let them get out of here. For now," he warned Catherine.
"Fine," she replied.
Walking over to a very busy Vance, Warrick listened in on the conversation.
"I went 1 minute and 37 seconds!" the man proudly announced to the detective. "I'm in the lead, too," he added.
"Were in the lead," Vance corrected him. When the man looked slightly puzzled, Vance sighed. "The bull doesn't work right now. Can't finish the tournament. So did you see anything, Mr. Roost?" he then asked.
"No, Sir. After I finished, I heard a loud crash at the bar. I looked over, and saw someone with his head on the table. I rushed over to see if he was okay, and… that was it."
"I see," Vance frowned, biting his lip. Looking at Warrick, he added for the CSI's benefit, "That seems to be the gist of it. Those who were at the bull heard the noise at the bar, and walked over to see what was going on. So far, no one has seen anything."
"So can I go home?" Roost then asked the detective, looking hopeful.
"Not yet, Sir," Warrick interceded, before the detective could answer. "I need to get fingerprints from everyone here—strictly voluntary, of course—and a DNA swab," he added, remembering the wet vomit.
"But why? I didn't do anything," Roost frowned.
"This will be to clear you," Warrick replied, taking out the swabs and fingerprint kit. "If everyone will line up here," he announced, "I'll get you out of here as fast as I can," he added, raising his voice.
Before beginning his work, he looked over at Catherine, and laughed. Of all of the cases to draw, they had to get the one about a bull missing its head. Well, I guess it could have been worse… he chuckled to himself. The bull could have been missing… something else, instead!
---------------
TO BE CONTINUED