Lindsay felt her whole body trembling as if she was convulsing, as Danny helped her lie down on the break room couch.
She wanted to cry but she couldn't cry. She wanted to mourn the deaths of her friends, Abby Gelman and Gwen DiCarlo, but she was too afraid for her own life.
Danny sat beside her, helpless. The CSI in him had too many questions to ask Lindsay --- now a victim more than anything else --- to help him understand the killer and eventually, find her. But the friend in him (she was his friend, at the very least) understood that she needed to take a few moments to breathe. This was too much for her to take.
"Why is she doing this?" Danny asked.
Lindsay looked up at him, not knowing what to say.
"That was so long ago, it couldn't be because of that" Lindsay whispered to herself.
Lindsay sat up. Danny had his arm around her. "I need to know." Danny said "Whatever it is. What we don't have right now is a clear understanding of our killer. What we don't have right now is motive"
Lindsay looked at Danny like a teenage girl explaining to her parent. "I was seventeen. I was stupid. We all were. I know I can't apologize for it now, but…."
Danny touched her hand. "Tell me."
"Abby Gelman" Lindsay started "used to write these short stories for the paper, serials we called it. She became quite popular for it. The kids were hooked. We teased her because she had this little fan base already. Fiona was one of those fans."
She paused. Danny saw that she was tearing up.
"Fiona followed Abby everywhere, followed US everywhere. When Abby, Gwen and I had lunch, Fiona would lurk around, even sit with us. She was so annoying."
Lindsay looked to Danny for a reaction. He didn't say anything.
"One day, we posted on the bulletin board that we were looking for new writers. We knew that Fiona was going to take a crack at it. So Gwen and I, we thought of playing a trick on her."
Lindsay's voice cracked. "I gave Fiona a letter, I told her to give it to Gwen, told her it was top secret and that under no circumstances was she to read it. I told her that the letter was about the writing auditions."
"What's in the letter?" Danny asked.
Lindsay paused, perhaps thinking whether she should tell Danny what she was about to say or not.
"In the letter, Gwen wrote that the writer who will do a news item on the Brier Woods would get her vote. I wrote back, and told Gwen that I completely agreed with her" Lindsay said.
"What's the deal with the Brier Woods?" Danny said.
Lindsay started to sob. "This small scary forest just a few miles from school. They say the place was haunted. But what's more scary is that it's a place where bears hibernate for the winter".
"The trick worked" Danny said, realizing what Lindsay may have done.
"We didn't think she'd actually do it!" Lindsay said, almost hysterical. "She disappeared for a week, and when she came back, she was badly injured. Her wounds were healed but she was badly deformed."
Lindsay buried her face in her hands. Danny slowly slipped his hand away from her shoulder. Lindsay felt it.
"So this is revenge." Danny said.
"Danny" Lindsay was defensive "I would say I'm sorry if it still matters to her, but right now we have to get her for what she did to Gwen and Abby"
"That's secondary for now. "Danny said. "What's important is that she doesn't get to you".
Just then, Lindsay's phone rings.
Danny and Lindsay looked at each other, unsure whether she should answer it or not.
Danny acted first. He picked up the receiver. "Hello?"
Danny listened intently. "Who's this please?... Rosie Cheung?"
Lindsay heaved a sigh of relief. She nodded her head and reached for the receiver.
"Hold on a second" Danny told the caller.
"Hey Rosie" Lindsay talked on the phone "I'd love to but I can't right now I have company. Rain check?... Tomorrow's fine I guess… alright…. Bye"
As Lindsay returned the receiver, Danny stared at her, horrified.
"Did you just set a date in the middle of all this?" Danny asked.
"It's just Rosie" Lindsay said "She's my next door neighbor and it's just coffee right across the street".
"Who is this Rosie Chung anyway?" Danny said, agitated.
Lindsay found it amusing that Danny was all protective of her. "Rosie Cheung. C-H-E-U-N-G. My 20-year-old next door neighbor, an English Lit student from Chelsea University, who has never left New York City since she was born and who has never been to Montana to know Fiona Albright".
Danny's phone beeps. He got a page.
"Blue paint on your brand has results from trace" Danny read the message on his cell. "I need to go back to the lab" Danny stood up and headed for the door. He looked back at Lindsay.
"I'm sending a uniform here. Don't leave the apartment without an escort" Danny said, authoritatively.
"Yes officer" Lindsay said, smiling.
Danny smiled himself. He walked back to where Lindsay was sitting, bent down, and kissed the top of her head.
Danny goes out the door.
-0-0-0-0-0-0-
As Danny was about to turn the ignition switch in his truck, he looked at Lindsay's bedroom window and saw that she had turned the lights off. Danny reached for his cellphone.
"Hawkes" Danny said "I need a favor. Pull up everything you can on a Rosie Cheung. C-H-E-U-N-G. Yeah. I'll be back in the lab in a few minutes. Thanks"