14

"Catherine? It's Gil."

"Hey! You okay? You disappeared outta here pretty quick yesterday."

"Cath, I have a 419. I need you and Warrick."

"I thought you weren't working."

"I'm not. I found the body." He gave her the address and she showed up with Warrick and David twenty minutes later. "Thanks for coming so quick."

"Welcome. Wanna fill me in here?"

"Vics name is Barry Sims. Apparent suicide. Sara's upstairs with the little girl. She said he told her to wait here for me and then he locked himself in his den. She said she heard a big noise a little while ago."

"Why would he tell her to wait here for you?"

"Because she's my daughter and I was scheduled to come pick her up at noon."

Catherine's mouth fell open, "Gil?"

"I know. It was a shock to me. Her mother was an old girlfriend of mine. I never knew we had a child. She was killed last week in a car accident. She left custody of Sara to me in her will."

"Sara?"

"That's my daughter's name."

"Coincidence?"

He took a deep breath, "No."

Catherine raised her eyebrows and blew a breath out threw pursed lips, "Wow. You're just a bundle of secrets."

"It's not secrets. It's just truths I didn't know until now."

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Listen, I asked for you and Warrick because I knew you could handle this without it being a big deal. I'm not ready for everyone else to know."

"You know I've always got your back, Gil."

"Yes, I do. So…the grief must have overtaken him. His wife was killed in a car wreck and now I'm taking away the little girl he probably raised as his own. His whole life was crumbling. I'm positive it's suicide, but I need you to prove it so we can put this behind us. I don't want Sara to have to go to court. She just lost her mother and now Barry. I'm not sure how close she was to him. We didn't touch anything, of course."

"Sara? Our Sara."

"She took my daughter upstairs so that she could pack her things. I know we can't take anything from a crime scene, but I just wanted it packed for when we can take it. I don't want Sara to have to come back here."

"Okay. I'll call you when I release the scene."

"Thank you Catherine."

Warrick and David, who'd been in the den, walked toward them. "Hey Gris. No investigation here Man. Gun's still in his hand. Hand's positive for GSR. Bullet entered thru his right temple. David says he's been dead for less than an hour. I bagged this note from the desk."

"Thanks, Warrick. Hello, David."

"Hello, Sir. I'll just go get a gurney."

"Wait, David."

"Yes, Sir."

"And stop calling me Sir. I'm not even working."

From Warrick, "Yeah. Why are you here, Gris?"

"Later, Warrick."

"Okay."

"Catherine, I'd like to get Sara out of here before…you know."

"Yeah, go ahead. We'll wait. I'll call you later."

"Thanks again, Cath."

"Welcome."