Chapter 2

Sara walked into the interrogation room with a satisfied smirk on her face, but inside she was feeling nothing but apprehension. Stopping short of the table, she realized there was an extra person in the room, 'Damn it.' "Mr. James, I see you've lawyered up?"

The women sitting next to her suspect spoke for him, "Considering the false accusations that were thrown at my client the last time he was here, he felt he needed representation."

"Just because the suspect was too afraid to ID your client doesn't mean they were false accusations," she started as she sat across from the pair. Sara sized up Kelly James, "But you made sure Suzanna Kirkwood would never say another word again didn't you?"

"Ms. Sidle, that rape case has been closed, and my client is here to answer questions for you current case." The women answered sternly. "I'd suggest you get to it before we leave."

Sara stared her down, "First of all, that case is not closed, second it's been upgraded to a murder, and third my current case is one of the city's number one priorities, I've been given leeway, so your client is here for as long as I need him to be here."

Satisfied that the women had been put in her place, she turned her attention back to Kelley, "I need to know where you were on each of these dates and times." She slid a pen and notebook, with the dates and times of each of the seven rapes, over to him and waited quietly for him to start writing.

--/--

Sara walked out of the room, file and notebook in hand, suddenly desiring a shower. She knew she had their serial rapist, and it made her sick. There was not enough physical evidence to warrant a DNA sample, yet. Here guilt over not helping Suzanna was magnified now that she started counting up the lives she could have saved.

He was so smug, like he thought he got away with his last crime, and now he was untouchable. Sara was counting on that level of arrogance. It was only a matter of time before he got careless, and she was going to make sure she was there when he did.

Her walk through the lab ended back in the layout room. She found her temporary partner pouring over the evidence, "Hey, care to poke some holes through Kelly James' alibis?"

He looked up at her relieved, "Does that mean we get to leave this building?"

Before she could respond to her colleague, Grissom's interrupted, "Sara, my office please."

To her ears it sounded somewhere between a request and a demand. She handed the notebook over to Greg, "Get started on this I'll be right back." After instructing him, she turned, but Grissom was already in his office. She shook her head, and made her way across the hallway.

Leaning against his door frame she tried to sense what type of mood he was in, something she hadn't been able to do for a while, and she wondered if she just didn't know him anymore, or if he was keeping her at an arm's length.

'I couldn't do it…but you did. You risked it all.'

Grissom's words would haunt her. He chose his career over her.

"Hey." She tried to sound normal.

Looking up at her, he pointed to the chair, "Have a seat."

She obeyed and waited for him to continue. She no longer felt comfortable in his company, and it hurt.

"I heard you brought Kelly James in tonight," he stated simply.

"Yeah, we found a partial on Lydia Croft's button, it came back to him. He claims he works for a dry cleaner she frequents, and must have got there when he was hanging it. He's listed his whereabouts for every rape, and I've got Greg looking the info over right now." She fell into the comfort of the job, easing her discomfort.

Grissom listened intently, "How are you?"

Taken aback by the question she opened her mouth but no sound came out.

"Suzanna Kirkwood's death bothered me, and I need to know you can handle this," his eyes searched hers for an answer.

'He doesn't care. He just wants to know if I'm going to fly off the handle,' her revelation stabbed her painfully. "I'm fine." Her voiced sounded strained even to her ears.

His eyes narrowed as he picked up on the thread of hurt that laced her words, "When's the last time you slept?"

Exhaling her frustration, "About two hours ago."

"In the breakroom?" He knew she hadn't gone home, "And how much sleep was that exactly?"

She stood, "Grissom, I'm fine. I'm not going to do anything to embarrass the department; I just need to solve this case."

Before he could explain Greg walked into the office, obviously excited about something, "Hey guess where Mr. James said he was on the night Lydia Croft was raped?" He was totally oblivious to the tension in the room.

Sara turned to him expectantly, letting her tight muscles relax slightly.

"Climbing at the Powerhouse Rock Climbing Gym on Charleston," he answered waving the notebook in the air.

Looking at her watch, "10:00 a.m., they should be open." She turned back to Grissom, and raised an eyebrow, asking him if they were finished.

He nodded, "I want you to go home after you check out that lead and get some sleep."

"It's not much of a home Grissom," she spoke so only he could hear her, turned, and walked out with Greg.

--/--

Greg scanned the gym, looking at the various people climbing the synthetic walls. He watched several dangle from the surface, shoving a hand into a bag hanging from their lower backs, coming out with a thin coating of chalk.

Sara had already made it to the desk. Waiting patiently in line, she sized up the two men working the counter. Very typical, they each wore North Face or Columbia apparel, hiking boots, and fleece vests. They were lean, and obviously spent many hours outside the gym, as evident of their tanned skin. One had short brown hair, and reminder her slightly of Keanu Reeves, the other had shoulder length, sandy blond hair that he tied back.

"Can I help you?" The brown hair man asked the pair.

Sara smiled, and stepped up to the counter, "I'm Sara Sidle, this is Greg Sanders. We're with the Crime Lab." She explained.

"Crime lab? No crimes here." He flashed her a smile, and she could tell he bit back some sort of cheesy line.

"Mr…?" Sara searched for a nametag.

"Tucker James." He filled in for her.

She tensed, and Greg shot her a questioning glance, "Any relation to Kelly James?"

His smile faded quickly, "Unfortunately. He's my half brother. Can we…," cocking his head toward the office for privacy, the three entered and settled into conference chairs. "Thanks, I'm not proud of Kelly, and would rather not have the rest of my coworkers know what a creep my brother is. What did he do?"

"Does he get into a lot of trouble?" Greg asked, the only record they had found was his juvenile files.

Tucker looked at them with a pained expression, "He was arrested as a kid for assault. Beat up my girlfriend. But he wasn't even sixteen, so he got three years in juvie, and hasn't done a good thing with his life yet." Glancing at Sara, he continued, "I've spent the better part of my life apologizing for him."

"Was he here two days ago?" She finally asked.

The young man's eyes darkened, "Yes, he said he wanted to climb. He's never climbed before, but he was a paying customer, and I had to let him. He didn't stay long, he started bugging Croft, so I kicked him out."

"Lydia Croft?" Greg asked feeling the pieces start to come together, but they had tracked her steps the day she was attacked and the climb never came up.

"No Lisa Croft…Lydia?" He tested the name, "Lydia Croft was the girl who was raped and killed two nights ago…oh god…you think my…you think Kelly did this?"

Sara felt sorry for the man in front of her, "That's what we're trying to figure out. Did Lisa have a sister?"

He shrugged, "Croft came here at least three times a week, but we don't talk about family around here. We talk about the 5.12 we climbed, or the new harness that just came out."

"No sister has come up in our investigation; do you have a number and address for Lisa Croft?" Greg asked taking out his notebook.

"Sure, she's a member, I'll go copy her contact card," he answered leaving the room.

Silence hung in the air a moment while each CSI contemplated the new information.

Greg finally turned to Sara, "You think she's a relative of Lydia's?"

Before she could answer, Tucker walked back in the office, a piece of paper in one hand and a jacket in the other, "Here's Lisa's information, and Kelly left this jacket here."

"We don't have a warrant," Sara informed him.

He held the coat out again, "It's been here for two days…new gym policy, if it's not picked up in two days we throw it out." He answered with a small smile.

Smiling in gratitude Sara realized she didn't have gloves, or evidence bags with her, they hadn't expected to be collecting evidence. "Our kits are in the car, do you have a bag we can put that in?"

He smiled back at her, set the coat on the table, and looked around the room. Finding nothing, he emptied out a backpack that sat in the corner.

"Mr. James, that isn't necessary," she started.

"It's ok, I trust you to bring it back." He smiled again and handed it over to her, "I look forward to seeing you again. I work everyday until 9:00; then the gym is empty if you want to climb in piece and quiet." He offered looking directly at Sara.

She grinned openly handing her business card over to him, "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for all your help, and if you think of anything call me."

Once outside she looked over at Greg, who seemed to be quietly laughing at her, "What?"

"I think he likes you," he teased.

She slapped his arm, "Grow up Greg." Walking to the SUV she called over her shoulder, "Let's process this jacket."

He climbed into the passenger seat, "I thought Grissom told you to go home?"

"Yeah, well it's after 11:00, hopefully he's gone home himself." She answered, starting the vehicle. 'Not likely Sara. He's probably guarding the entrance.'

--/--

Sara got through the door. That was a small victory for her, but didn't make it far into labyrinth before she heard his voice. "Sara?"

She stopped in her tracks, put on a false smile, and turned to face him, "Grissom." Handing the back pack to Greg, she waited for his request to join him in his—

"Office." He spoke tersely and waited for her to follow him.

Sitting down in her usual chair, she looked at him with slight defiance.

He held her gaze for a moment and exhaled loudly, "Sara—"

"You don't care." She interrupted suddenly, she had no idea what had given her the nerve to finally echo her thoughts that haunted her for weeks. She had imagined the conversation, but never in her life thought she would have it.

"What are you saying, I—" He had no time to collect his thoughts.

'You already crossed the line Sidle, might as well keep going,' she told herself. "Somebody young and beautiful shows up. Somebody we could care about." She repeated his own words back to him. "I heard you Grissom, so you can drop this. I know you have to worry about me because you're my supervisor, but don't act like you care."

He couldn't decide if he was more shocked by the outburst, or by her words.

"You can care about a woman that looks just like me because she's a case." She stood, not wanting to loose her composure that was hanging by a thread. "I'm not your case. I'll sleep when Kelly James is in jail, and cannot hurt another woman again."

TBC…