Okay, chapter 3. Review, please!

I almost couldn't look at the photos in front of me... I had seen worse, yeah. But this was Sara. It was Sara's body that looked like one solid bruise, Sara's body that had been stabbed so many times, Sara's body that had the deep gouges across her breasts from where her attacker had dug his nails in. It gave me comfort to know that she was still alive, but it was still hard. I went through all of the photos, making sure I examined them thoroughly, but not looking at them any longer than I had to.

I was glad when my task was done, but disappointed that I hadn't found anything that would help us with the case. Sighing, I slumped back in my chair, and rubbed my forehead. I could feel a headache coming on. I'd need a tylenol in a few minutes, before it got to bad, and I wasn't able to concentrate. I got up and started to head for the breakroom, where there was always a bottle of pain killers, when I ran right into Grissom. I wasn't quite sure what to say to him, so I decided to let him speak first.

"I'd like to see that camcorder Greg found," he said. "And don't tell me I shouldn't," he added when I started to open my mouth to protest, "Greg already tried that."

I knew when I was defeated, even when it was before the battle had started. I went to get the camera, while Grissom followed. I handed to him, once I'd found it. "Don't say I didn't warn you," I told him, and left. I got my tylenol. I passed back by Greg's lab, and heard his ever playing stereo. Today it was blaring the music of the band "She Wants Revenge"

I heard it's cold out, but her popsicle melts.
She's in the bathroom, she pleausres herself
Says I'm a bad man, she's locking me out
It's cuz of these things, it's cuz of these things

Lets make a fast plan, watch it burn to the ground.
I try to whisper, so no one figures it out.
I'm not a bad man, I'm just overwhelmed
It's cuz of these things, it's cuz of these things.

I stood there, long enough to hear the entire chorus, as it was a song I liked, and headed back to where I'd left Grissom. He didn't look happy. In fact, he looked so angry, I was almost afraid to speak to him. He saved me the trouble, for he spoke first.

"I want this guy found," he hissed. I had never heard Grissom sound like that, "I want him found, and I want the evidence to prove that it was him beyond a shadow of a doubt. And he had better hope I don't get a chance alone with him for more than a second, because if I do..."

He didn't further detail what it was he'd do, but I doubted that it was anything good. Frankly, I was hoping Grissom would go back to the hospital, and stay with Sara... I wasn't sure I wanted him working the case in that state. He would end up hurting someone, or get himself arrested. Not that I wouldn't have loved to see the man responsible get torn from limb to limb, but I didn't think Sara would be happy with me if I let Grissom end up in prison. 'What am I thinking? Sara'd be quicker to kill the guy than Grissom would...' I thought. I went back to the lab, where Greg was still blaring music.

I turned down the stereo, in the middle of the chorus of "All my friends are dead", and waited for Greg to realize his music was gone. He turned, obviously about to ask what the big idea was, when he saw me.

"What ya got, Greg?" I asked.

"Ah, right... Well, I got some skin from under Sara's nails, unfortunately, who ever it is, doesn't have a previous record, so I can't find out who it was. But, if you can get DNA samples from your suspects, I can tell you if it's them or not. "

"Thanks, Greg," I said, with a quick smile. He looked relieved at the fact that I wasn't yelling. In truth, I was just about frustrated enough to break something, but that wasn't Greg's fault. I had been hoping we'd get a positive ID on the guy, from the skin... But, he was right. If we could get a dna sample from each of the suspects, we'd know if it was them or not.

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"So, Grissom's taking this pretty hard, huh?" I asked Nick, as we headed for the home of the second suspect. The first hadn't been home.

"Yeah," Nick replied, "He scared the crap out of Greg, at the hospital, 'cuz Greg tried to tell him he shouldn't watch that recording we found..."

I nodded, but said nothing, as Nick pulled the car up in front of a rather nice looking house. The two of us got out, and went up to the front door. Nick rang the doorbell, and it was a few moments before the door opened, to reveal a small, fragile looking woman with waist-length red hair, balancing a small child on one hip, and holding the hand of another, that hid slightly behind her legs. From the matching clothes, I guessed that the girls were twins.

"May I help you?" the woman inquired, tugging the girl whose hand she held, back into the house, as she had tried to run out.

"Mrs. Hopewell?" Nick asked. He continued when the woman nodded, "I'm Nick Stokes, from the Vegas Crime Lab. This is Sofia Curtis, from the P.D. We're here to speak with Adam Hopewell."

"One moment," she said, and turned and left us standing there in the open doorway. She came back a few moments later, this time without the children, "Follow me please."

Nick and I followed her into the house, and to a rather large living room. A tall man, with dark brown hair sat on the couch. He wore a shirt, with a high neck, so it covered most of his throat. I also noticed that the beginnings of a scratch peeked out above the top of the shirt. A little suspicious, I thought. Nick noticed too. I could tell from the way his eyes narrowed for a moment, before he introduced himself, and me. Mr. Hopewell gestured to us, to sit down, and both of us obliged.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Stokes?"

"A friend of mine, a fellow CSI, was attacked, late last night, Mr. Hopewell, and nearly killed. Your sister, Emily, died in prison, didn't she?"

The man gave Nick an odd look, but replied, "Yes, Mr. Stokes, she did. What does that have to do with your friend?"

"The attacker left a message, saying that he did this, because his sister committed suicide while in prison. He's threatened to kill the woman he attacked, as well as someone else."

Understanding dawned on the man, "If you think I had anything to do with it, you would be sorely mistaken, Mr. Stokes. My sister deserved what she got, ten times over. My brother may have worshipped the very ground she walked on, but I didn't."

"Sir, may I ask, what happened to your neck?" I asked, changing the subject.

Another odd look. He pulled the shirt down, though, to reveal four long scratches across his throat, "Some freak jumped me last night when I was leaving work. Ask the security cameras that filmed it."

"Uh huh," I said, "and where do you work?"

"The Lucky Dragon Casino," he was about to say something else, when Nick's cell phone rang. Nick excused himself for a moment, and left the room to answer it. When he came back, he said, "Well, we got a DNA sample from our perp. Sofia."

"Well," I said, "That simplifies matters." I looked at Mr. Hopewell, "Sir, if we could get a DNA sample from you, we'll be on our way."

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So much for that idea. Sara's clothes had been a bust. Nothing on them, other than blood. I could only hope that the others had been more sucessful in their search for evidence. I went to see Catherine, and ask her how the campaign was going, when I saw Grissom storming through the hall, into his office. He didn't even stop to say hello to me. Which could only mean one thing...

"He watch that video?" I asked Catherine, who came along only seconds after Grissom. She nodded, "He's been stalking around like Dracula ever since."

"Ouch," I said, "I'll keep that in mind if I want to talk to him, then."

"Don't bother even trying," Catherine warned me, "he's liable to bite your head off. He was already shouting at one of Ecklie's lackeys."

"Yeah, but that's Ecklie, and his people," I pointed out.

"He's been no nicer to me," she said, "The sooner we solve this case, the better... For all of us."

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I sat down at my desk, not in the greatest mood. And things, it seemed, weren't going to get any better, for Ecklie saw fit to come in, uninvited. "What is the big idea, Gil?" he said, "you have the entire lab working the Sidle case? There are other cases to be solved, Gil, and other criminals to be caught! We can't have EVERYONE IN THE DAMN LAB WORKING ONE CASE all because YOUR PRECIOUS LITTLE SARA GOT ATTACKED!"

At first, I had been planning on ignoring him, until he said the last part. "The big idea, Ecklie? " I said, trying to keep myself calm, "I am trying to catch someone who has not only severely injured one of our team, but," I lost my control, "HAS THREATENED TO COME BACK AND KILL HER! THAT is the big idea!" I didn't bother trying to lower my voice again, "AND I DO NOT INTEND TO LET THE GUY GET THE SLIGHTEST CHANCE TO GET AWAY WITH IT!" I was standing now, and staring at him. I knew he was taken aback, for he lost some of his normal swagger, and air of importance.

He stayed standing there for a moment, then turned and left, slamming my office door behind him. I all but fell back into my chair. I knew I shouldn't have lost my temper, but I wanted Sara's attacker caught, and soon. Not long after Ecklie had left, I heard a tentative knock at the door, and Greg stuck his head in.

"Um, Griss... Front desk says you have a phone call, from the hospital," he ducked back out, and shut the door, but I knew he was listening on the other side. I felt a sudden dread, as what he'd said clicked in my mind. Afraid of what I was going to hear, I picked up the phone.

"Mr Grissom?" said a voice, that sounded familiar for some reason.

"Yes," I replied, trying to keep the worry from my voice.

"This is Dr. Grimwell," said the voice, "I've been put in charge of Sara Sidle's care..."

"...And?"

"Well, she woke up a few minutes ago, and when she saw myself, and one of the nurses, she freaked. The nurse managed to calm her, but she's still slightly jumpy. We would appreciate it if you would come down here, and keep her quiet..."

"Alright..." I replied, a wave of relief washing over me, "But I don't know what goo-"

"I'm sure you'll be doing plently of good, Sir," said the doctor, "since she's been asking for you."

After I hung up the phone, I wasted no time in leaving my office. I noticed that everyone stopped what they were doing as I went by, as if trying to determine what had been said, simply from my expression.
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I watched as Grissom walked by the lab, and resisted the urge to ask what the hospital had wanted, but just barely. If something had happened, he would have told us, I was sure.

"Hey, Greg," said Nick, as he and Sofia entered the lab, "I got a sample from one of our suspects. If it matches the skin we got, we've found our guy..."

I took the swab he held out to me, and muttered a quick "I'll get right on it," and turned to get to work, when Nick added something, "Grissom bitten anyone's head off yet?"

"No," I replied, "But he shouted at Ecklie. And you know what a good blow to Ecklie's ego means. "

"Yeah, crappy treatment for us all," Nick replied bitterly, "Thanks Greg."

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