Bra
"What the hell?"
Nikki and Clarissa looked up from their desks at Jack's incredulous shout, glancing over to where the forensic scientist was rooting about in one of the lab cupboards in the corner, a rarely used one that appeared to be more an overflow for junk than anything else. However, Jack had lost something and made it his mission to find it, no matter what. Neither woman knew what he was actually looking for, having tuned out whenever he started on a long ramble of why he needed to search the entire lab.
"If you're stuck, I'm taking photos before calling for help." Clarissa called over with a smirk, exchanging an amused look with Nikki.
"No I'm not stuck." Jack re-emerged from the cupboard, straightening up with bemusement all over his features. "I'm just wondering why the hell I've just found this in the cupboard." He held up his right hand, from which a lacy red bra dangled.
Nikki felt her cheeks heat up immediately, embarrassment colouring them the same red as the underwear. The underwear she instantly recognised as being hers, albeit from many years earlier. She'd left her bra on the table after slicing it open for the underwire, having to go and talk to Leo about something, and by the time she'd come back, the desk had been empty. Which meant Harry had gotten rid of it for her. She hadn't thought about it after that, not until Jack had pulled it from the cupboard.
"The colour suits you Jack." Clarissa teased. "Tell me you've the matching set."
"Very funny. It's been sliced open too, which only makes it weirder." Jack motioned to one of the cups, where Nikki knew there would be a slice mark. She'd made it after all.
"Hey what you do in your own time Jack…" Clarissa's smirk only widened as Jack became just a little flustered, turning to Nikki for help.
"Nikki?" His voice turned concerned when he noticed her obvious embarrassment. "Are you alright?"
Nikki nodded woodenly. "You can put that in the bin."
"It's yours?" Clarissa asked in amazement.
Nikki nodded again, her cheeks heating even further. "Yes, or at least it was."
"Why is it in a cupboard? And why does it have a knife mark in it?" Jack reeled off quickly, trying to get in his questions before her embarrassment prevented her speaking.
"Blame-"
"Harry." Both Jack and Clarissa finished for her with matching grins. Nikki rolled her eyes.
"Yes blame Harry. I left it with him to get rid of it but he must've just thrown it in the back of the cupboard instead."
"And why exactly were you leaving your bra with Harry?" Jack's grin only widened as he moved further into the office area, displaying the bra with an outstretched arm.
Nikki pressed her hands to her cheeks in a desperate attempt to cool them down. "Because Leo called me to his office and I'd just took my bra off in front of Harry. For a case!" She quickly added, before either of them could get the wrong idea. "We couldn't identify a piece of metal, that turned out to be a piece of underwire. Which is why one of them is missing. I really thought Harry had just thrown it away."
"That sounds just stupid enough to be true. What do you think, Clarissa?"
"Hmm, it is a little unbelievable but then, it sounds more believable for Nikki than any other explanation I can think of." Clarissa grinned at Nikki's embarrassed mien. "So Harry managed to get you out of your bra then?"
"Don't." Nikki groaned, fighting the urge to hit her head off the table. She was saved from doing just that when Thomas stepped out of his office, stopping short in surprise at finding Jack stood in the middle of the office holding a bra, with Clarissa amused and Nikki embarrassed.
"Jack, why are you holding a bra?"
"Blame Harry." Came the unanimous response.