Sara
The outskirts of North Vegas- desolate and eerie. A space where misguided youth partook in typical teenage debauchery, leaving empty beer bottles and cigarette butts scattered. Just past the edge of the trailer park, there was nothing but a handful of abandoned buildings and the beginning of miles of endless desert.
This morning, it was unrecognizable. Police cruisers surrounded the area- more than I was used to at a body dump, though the crowd swarming the scene seemed to warrant it. I glanced over at Sofia, tension held in her jaw as she navigated around the news vans, coming to an abrupt stop behind the first of the cruisers.
"Vultures" she scoffed quietly, shifting violently into park. I reached across the center console to give her arm a soft squeeze, eyeing the crowded scene wearily.
It had been a quiet morning turned tense- a few after work beers in her sundrenched apartment. The uncluttered space and white walls made for a dreamy feel that I loved and Sofia loathed- an amplification of the emptiness, she said.
The feel of her beneath me, arching into my touch, hips rocking slowly against the appendage strapped firmly to my bare hips. Slow and sensual, drawn out pleasure. Golden legs wrapped tightly around my waist, golden hair loose and wild. I tried to commit to memory her breathlessness, her needy cries as our movements became frantic and deep; my teeth against her neck as she arched up into me, nails speared into the flesh of my back as she came.
Already on edge, every soft touch felt electric, her mouth taking its time trailing over every inch of my skin. Drawing it out, I finally came with my fingers tangled tightly in blonde tresses, feeling that arrogant smirk against me before she slid up my body to press a soft kiss against my lips.
This slow sort of passion was unusual for us, and when she finally moved away from me after a few long minutes, it was abrupt- a severing of connection. I felt a tightness growing in my chest as she pushed wild hair away from her face, moving to the edge of the bed, glacial eyes bearing into mine. It was the sudden gleam of unshed tears caught in the light streaming through sheer curtains that amplified the growing tightness painfully as I slid up against the headboard with concern. Reaching out for her, only able to skim my fingertips over the soft skin of her wrist, I forced out an almost inaudible "Fia, what?"
The next quiet words out of her swollen lips- "we should talk"- were abruptly cut off by a loud knock at the door. Captain Curtis, sharp and unnerving, eyeing us distastefully from the doorway- Sofia wrapped loosely in a crumpled sheet, an LVPD t-shirt I had hastily grabbed out of her dresser thrown on with my jeans, awkwardly trying to smooth down my hair- a clear giveaway to our morning activities.
A body had been found on the way out of Vegas matching the serial MO- the feds doing a preliminary investigation before anyone else was notified. The heads up was an appreciated kindness, though her heavy gaze clearly stated that the courtesy wasn't intended for me.
So here we were, half finished coffee's abandoned in the center console, a tension headache building rapidly at the base of my skull as we approached the scene, professional masks drawn.
I followed closely behind as she sauntered through the crowd, aviators barley obscuring her scowl as she barked a sharp "no comment" at the pushy reporters. I eyed the eager crowd as I passed- news anchors in their pressed suits, residents of the nearby trailer park- a woman smoking thin cigarettes and gesturing wildly to an older man, swaying drunkenly in the morning light. I sighed, flipping my sunglasses down from their perch on top of finger combed hair as I ducked beneath the crime scene tape, taking a scan of the scene.
David was already with the body, strewn out as I knew it would be- arms raised, pale and slender against blood drenched sand. I noted Agent Callum speaking to a man I didn't recognize by the edge of the taped off area, cloaked in black from her hair to her impractical shoes. Having witnessed Catherine trudging through sand in heels like that enough times, I decided to save her the effort, making my way over with a tight lipped smile.
"Sara"
"Rachel" I replied, earning myself a barely concealed scowl at the flippant use of her first name.
"You know I would have gotten here sooner, had anyone bothered to let me know we had a scene"
"We survey it first- it's protocol, Sara" she brushed off my irritation, gesturing tensely towards the gathering crowd behind the tape, "though it hardly matters, most of them beat us to it"
I sighed, catching sight of Elizabeth Curtis making her way through the crowd with the same irritation laced professionalism as Sofia. What she was doing at a scene in Vegas was beyond me, but it was far from the top of my currently overwhelming list of concerns.
"So what do we know?"
"Very little. Unlike most of the victims, there hasn't been a missing persons report filed. So, for now she is a Jane Doe in an all to familiar position"
Excusing myself, I headed towards David with an underlying sense of dread. The fire that this case had initially ignited was fading into dim embers of exhaustion. We were getting nowhere, and the lifeless bodies of young girls were piling up.
An eruption of voices behind me drew my attention, turning around to see Catherine moving effortlessly through the growing crowd of people, ignoring the questions hurdled at her with an air of experienced confidence. Vest tight around her frame, freckled arms bare, a dark toque covering strawberry hair, she stepped under the tape held up by a nearby officer. I couldn't suppress a smile as she made her way over to me, kit in hand.
"A little confused about the weather?" I asked, earning a momentary scrunch of a perfectly shaped eyebrow, a hand running absently over her hat
"It's February in Nevada, aren't you?"
I pursed my lips into a smile as she glanced over at David for a moment, eyes shifting towards Agent Callum with a snort, hand coming to rest on a cocked hip.
"Can you believe her?" her glare shifted back to me, eyes softening slightly "Thanks for the heads up"
Her gaze was oceanic in the late morning light and I had to tear mine away. Her beauty had been a cause of distraction from day one, her protective indignation as irritating as it was endearing, but I had quickly erected a wall in that space. A wall that at this point had become little more than a pile of rubble at her feet. I pushed that thought to the back of my mind, refocusing.
"We've got no ID on the body, but from here it looks like the same MO- young girl, blonde, stab wound. Would you rather the body or the perimeter?"
She sighed, giving a nod towards David
"Why don't you go get the run down on the body, I'll start on the perimeter"
She threw a glance back over at Callum and for a moment I thought I might have to persuade her to let it go, but she simply let out an angry little puff of breath before turning towards the opposite end of the scene.
The body was in an identical position to the others, blue eyes the same cloudy shade of blue. Beneath the milky opaqueness, they were the same familiar shade as Lindsay's; the same almond shape. Even the freckles scattered across the pale skin of her face were similar. I felt a wave of nausea, pressing my lips into a thin line. Catherine was a stronger woman than me, to face this time and time again. I was grateful that she had allowed me to take the initial brunt of emotional impact this time around.
David shot me a gentle smile of greeting as I knelt down across from him, scanning over her form.
"Hey David. Same COD as the others I'm guessing?"
"Same COD, but there are some differences with her"
I glanced up at him in question, forehead creasing.
"She has two stab wounds, one direct entry into the upper left chest, the other to her lower left side- maybe she tried to dodge him and he missed?"
I pulled a pair of gloves out of my kit before tracing my fingers along the outline of the wound- the entry point aimed at nothing specific. Moving up to the angry red gash on her chest, I let my fingers trace her small collar bone softly.
"You know, this looks a bit too high to have penetrated the heart"
David nodded, "I won't know for sure until I can see the angle of entry, but I would guess it is a miss by far"
"All of the other victims had a single entry straight to the heart- simple, precise. What would cause him to suddenly get sloppy?"
"I don't know, but this body definitely stands out among the rest"
I sighed as I pushed up off the ground, faces eyeing us with intrigue behind the crime scene tape, curious gazes roving over her exposed form. Taking note of Catherine photographing something in the distance, I shot a final glare at the crowd, resting a hand on David's shoulder softly.
"Get her out of here Dave"
/
The rapidly approaching sound of heels against the cement floor shot another wave of pain up behind my eyes, closing them against my palm, bracing for whatever was coming. I felt Greg's hand move up to squeeze my shoulder supportively.
"I don't envy you, man" Nick spoke quietly.
"Sara"
I hesitated a moment before lifting my head up off my hand, blinking a few times at Rachel to clear my vision. I could tell by the blank expression on her face that she had no sympathy for our double shift becoming a triple, hazel eyes cold.
"Break times over. We've got a lead- tire marks came back to a 89 Chevy Silverado, DMV records kicked back a very short list in the Vegas area. Catherine and your friend detective Curtis are waiting outside"
Fantastic.
I bit back the urge to tell her exactly where to shove it as she turned on her heel to go, instead sliding the remainder of my gas station brownie towards Greg, pushing up onto tired legs.
"Now why are you always choosing him over me like that?" Nick asked, eyeing the double fudge square with a frown
"She likes me better man, what can I say" Greg shot me a charming smile, pulling the cellophane wrapper off slowly
"Fight it out" I mumbled, moving out into the hall.
The Tahoe was parked out front, Sofia leaning casually against the back, half smoked cigarette hanging between thin fingers. Catherine was perched against the front bumper, flicking absently through her phone. The civility between them had clearly dwindled down to a complete disregard for one another.
That's just perfect.
I took a deep breath before closing the distance, Catherine glancing up at me with a quiet, exasperated sigh. "It's about time" she shot, uncrossing her legs and moving around to the drivers side. Sofia appeared from the rear, my chest clenching beneath her gaze. I had come to read her effortlessly- her finger-tapping anxiety, fingers pushing back blonde locks incessantly on stressful days, the heavy tension held in her jaw beneath the strain of barely suppressed anger. That absent tug at the soft edges of her lips when she was happy. But this… the heaviness of her gaze felt ambiguous and crushing.
I moved towards her, pulling the remains of the cigarette gently from her grasp and taking a desperately needed drag. Stubbing it out against the bottom of the Tahoe, I gave a nod of invitation towards the passenger seat, eliciting a quiet chuckle as she grabbed the back door handle instead.
"Please, enjoy"
The ride was silent, a contrast to the nervous energy coursing through me. I could feel the unnamable tension radiating off of Catherine, the weight of the impending conversation Sofia and I were eventually going to have, the collective anxiety about finally having a thread to follow in this case.
Eventually, it became too much.
"So is this a home or work address?" I asked casually, rolling down my window a crack despite the drizzle that had began falling, cloaking the bright city in a gloomy fog.
"It's a steel factory on the East side, the guys name is Corey Wright. He's got no prior convictions, but there are only two other owners of this truck in the Vegas area- a 79 year old man named Wendell outside of Henderson who claims he hasn't used the truck in months, and a 16 year old whose using the old family truck as her first vehicle. So, we're starting here"
Catherine tapped her fingers against the steering wheel as she spoke- an uncharacteristically nervous tick
"I don't know, this all seems too easy. Tire treads leading away from the scene, skin beneath the victims fingernails…"
"Maybe she put up enough of a fight to throw him off his game" Sofia offered.
"Maybe" I mused as I focused back out the window, feeling a few light drops splash against my forehead as the drizzle became a light rain.
It was as simple as walking in, Sofia flashing her badge and the gun holstered on her cocked hip, Catherine navigating the defensive rhetoric we were so accustomed to in typical no bullshit fashion, tucking the search warrant for his truck between his crossed arms as she passed.
He was a tall man, thin and nervous- full of big words, giving the general feel of being uncomfortable in his own skin. Dark eyes darted between us from behind rimless glasses, finally settling on me with a forced sort of resolve. Sofia immediately took my place, forcing his gaze onto her with a typically abrasive comment as I followed Catherine out into the parking lot.
"He certainly seems a little off" she commented, pulling the hood of her jacket up to protect blonde waves. I didn't bother, knowing there was little that could make my tangled, overgrown hair any less presentable.
The truck was off-white and run down, rusted along the edges with a windshield in desperate need of replacement. Catherine gave it a disgusted once over before prying open the rusted door. I did the same, beginning a general search of the garbage littered back seat.
"Do you want to grab a bite after shift? My treat"
She poked her head up from the back to give me an incredulous look, shaking her head slightly
"You look like the walking dead Sara, no offence. You should get some rest"
I offered a weary smile, and I knew she could tell I was about to protest as she cut me off before I could form my next words.
"I am sleeping with my phone on silent until next shift. You should do the same"
"Yeah" I sighed, pushing back a grease stained McDonalds bag to reveal more trash beneath. I could feel her heavy gaze on me, and I glanced up to meet it, laced with concern.
"Is everything okay?"
I sighed, shrugging slightly
"I don't know. Sofia wants to talk later… it feels like a conversation I'm not going to want to have"
The look that painted her face was difficult to read- something between surprise and horror- a flash of raw emotion before it fell away, replaced by a cool mask of composure.
I didn't have time to question it as my hand collided with a fabric wrapped item, frowning lightly as I leaned heavily down to look beneath the seat. Pulling out a knife by the handle, wrapped in blood soaked fabric, I looked up at Catherine incredulously. Her expression perfectly matched my own, letting out a humorless chuckle of disbelief.
"Seriously?"
It was as if he was asking to be caught, I couldn't understand it. Frowning, I passed the item across the front seat into Catherine's gloved hand.
"I'm going to call for a cruiser to take him in"
/
Arrogance. It was written across his entire being, from the smug grin tugging at the edges of his thin mouth to his hands folded neatly on the table in front of him- ridged, unmoving. Unnerving, to say the least.
I was running on cold, bottom-of-the-pot coffee and a furious resolve to understand what exactly was happening here. It was the nervous undertones in everything he did that had me unconvinced. He was responsible for the most recent death- DNA on the body and fingerprints on the murder weapon proved that- but he didn't possess the patience or competence of a serial killer as successful as the one we were dealing with.
"Hey"
I glanced over at Sofia, changed into a deep grey blouse, hair pulled away from her tired face. I fought the urge to reach out for her as she moved beside me, staring in at Wright.
"He seems so pleased with himself" I muttered, digging my fingertips into the edge of the windowsill, pursing my lips against the anger bubbling beneath the blanket of exhaustion. I felt her gaze shift towards me, lingering softly.
"You should go home, get some sleep"
I couldn't help but smile, the suggestion so uncharacteristically gentle.
"Well that's hardly fair when you're stuck here dealing with this". I nodded at Wright, feeling another sneer of irritation tugging at my lips. "I'll stay too"
A smile ghosted over her features as she stepped away from the window, moving in the direction of the door.
"Go home Sara, please. Both of us don't need to be exhausted. I'll call you as soon as I'm done with him, let you know what he has to say"
I sighed, opening my mouth to argue when she cut me off, hand grasping the door handle.
"You're not useful as a zombie babe, just go"
The regretful hesitation as the familiar term slipped from her lips wasn't lost on me, but it was enough to pull my heart out of the disquieted depths it had fallen to over the past few days. I was getting by on fragile threads of hope in every aspect of my life, but hope was there nonetheless.
Raising my hands in defeat, I pursed my lips into a small smile "Fine. I'm gone"
A soft smile of gratitude played over her lips before she took a deep breath, moving into the interrogation room.
I watched her saunter over to the table, dropping a file folder down in front of her before I turned away, moving in the direction of the locker room. I didn't have it in me to fight to stay.
A familiar voice reached my ears as I moved through the hall, Catherine appearing from a conjoining hallway, bright eyes shooting over at me in irritation, phone held loosely to her ear.
"I don't care Lindsay, you can't spring these things on me last minute. I'll pick you up from Brooke's at five"
She fell into sync at my side, heels bringing her almost to my height.
"Just stop, I'll see you tonight"
She flipped her phone shut with an audible snap, slipping it into her back pocket with a sigh. "Don't even ask. I am asleep on my feet"
I shifted my gaze over to her, letting it linger on her features- the soft red of her lips, the even warmth of her skin, hair bouncing against her shoulders as she walked, soft and gleaming. Her perfection baffled me, three shifts in and aside from her escalating moods, you would never guess. Meanwhile, I was beginning to resemble a prisoner of war. I shook my head, eyes trailing over her form softly "I wouldn't guess it- you look beautiful"
I knew instantly that was a slip of the tongue, but I couldn't find the energy to attempt to backtrack, instead just offering an awkward smile as her pace faltered slightly in surprise. A smile graced her features, chucking slightly as she ran a hand absently over blonde locks, bright eyes meeting mine. She held my gaze for a lingering moment before a frown suddenly tugged at her lips and she stopped abruptly, turning to face me.
"You know, what does that even mean?"
I frowned, shaking my head slightly in confusion, "what?"
She scoffed, hand coming to her hip angrily, azure eyes flashing an indecipherable warning.
"You can't keep saying these things and expect me to just…". She let that unfinished thought hang heavy, giving her head a violent shake. "It's too much, Sara. Just fucking save it"
She punctuated that riddle of a statement with a glare sharp enough to feel, turning on her heel and marching off towards the break room. I stared at her retreating form, mouth slightly agape, hands slightly raised in what was some subconscious attempt to calm her down.
"What the fuck?" I muttered to no one at all, turning slowly back towards the locker room, eyes locking with Warrick's as he headed towards me, an amused smile pulling at his lips
"You look like you could use a drink"
I shook my head slightly, still bewildered. I needed sleep- I needed to refocus, recharge. I needed to get back here and reassess this case as soon as I could. Sighing, I turned with him, a strong arm draping casually over my shoulder, my bewildered gaze melting into a tired frown.
"Yeah, I could use several"
What the fuck is going on?