Hey, Guys.
I was bored today so I wrote three chapters in the space of an hour and a half. So here's the deal, I'm posting this chapter. And if I get...five reviews, I'll post the next two chapters same time tomorrow. ;)
Xxx
IronAngel 420.
Grissom sat in his office, busy with what was considered the bane of a CSI's existence: paperwork.
He didn't look up when someone knocked on his door, "Come in."
Griffin came in and sat down in a chair in front of his desk and opened the folder in her lap.
"I got a print," said Griffin opening her file and producing an A4 photograph, "off the tape that was used to tie up Kimmy."
She handed the photo to Grissom and he took it from her.
"Did you run it through AFIS?" asked Grissom looking at the print.
"Yes," said Griffin, "The print belongs to a Derrick Lander."
Grissom frowned and asked, "Does he have a criminal record that he's in the system?"
Griffin nodded her head and said, "Yes."
"How is he connected to the Barett family?" asked Grissom.
"He worked on a governmental building."
Grissom quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Does this governmental building happen to be the DA's office?"
Griffin smiled and said, "One in the same. Ian had the courtesy to pull his driver's licence photo for me." She handed him another photo this one of a handsome, dark haired man with brown, almost black, eyes. "And get this," continued Griffin, "This attractive fellow showed up at the DA's office at 08:30 p.m. and shared quite a heated conversation with the Mrs. Barett."
Grissom looked up at her sharply and asked, "What time did he leave?"
"08:45. Vanessa followed him hastily a few minutes after."
Grissom sat back in silence. Griffin folded her hands in her lap and said, "I told you she was hiding something. She lied to us, Grissom. She might have been working late, but not that late."
Grissom sighed and picked up the phone on his desk. He dialled a number and waited for a few seconds before someone answered and he said, "Brass, its Grissom. I need you to bring Vanessa Barett in for questioning."
CSICSICSICSI
Nick and Warrick stood outside of a house that was undergoing construction. They'd both donned sunglasses to ward off the glare of the sun that bounced off the ground. The sounds of construction were all around them, filling the air with the buzzing of electrical saws, the thuds of hammers, and the shout of men conversing with one another. A man stepped out of the crowd and walked towards them. The man was tall, about six-one, with dark hair, sticking out from underneath a yellow hard hat. The man wore a long-sleeved red, flannel shirt, ripped, faded jeans (though if the rips were by accident or design Nick couldn't tell), and brown boots. The man also had sunglasses that hid his eyes, and a clip board in his hand. A utility belt was strapped around his waist.
"Can I help you, Fellas?" he asked shouting slightly to be heard over the din.
"Derrick Lander?" asked Warrick also raising his voice slightly.
"Yeah, that's me," answered the man.
"We're with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. We need to ask you a couple of questions," said Nick holding up his crime lab I.D.
"What's this all about? I finished my parole almost a year ago," said Lander.
"Do you know this woman?" asked Warrick holding up a picture of Vanessa Barett.
Lander nodded and said, "Sure, that's Vanessa Barett. Why? Is she okay?"
"She's fine, sir," said Nick, "but her family isn't. Her husband and daughter were murdered two days ago."
The smile faded from Lander's face, "Oh my god! What happened?"
"That's what we are trying to find out," said Nick.
"What is your relationship with Mrs. Barett, Mr. Lander?" asked Warrick.
"Why?" asked Lander suddenly suspicious.
"Just answer the question, Mr. Lander," said Nick.
Lander placed his hands on his hips and shrugged saying, "There is no relationship. I did some work at her office, that's all."
"Are you sure, Mr. Lander?" asked Warrick.
Lander folded his arms and took a step towards Warrick, "What's that supposed to mean?"
Nick took out a still of Lander kissing Vanessa.
Lander looked at the picture before he took it from Nick and looked a little longer at it.
"I must commend you, sir, on your wonderful customer care," said Nick sarcastically.
Lander looked up at Nick and his eyes turned to daggers. The term 'if looks could kill' came to Warrick's mind.
"You don't know anything, so keep your mouth shut, you little twerp," said Lander pointing a finger at Nick. Nick bristled and Warrick stepped between the suspect and his partner saying, "Please, Mr. Lander, just answer the question. What was your relationship with Vanessa Barett?"
Lander tore his eyes away from Nick and said to Warrick, "A misunderstanding. I've been working at the DA's building and we chatted a few times. I thought there was something there, but obviously she didn't think so. I kissed her; she got pissed off and slapped me."
"That must have wounded your ego," said Warrick.
Lander shrugged and said, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
"What did you do after this little get together?" asked Warrick.
"Went to a bar picked up a blonde, went back to her place."
"What time was that?" asked Warrick.
"'Bout one a.m. I left about three hours later, went home, fell into bed and slept 'til about ten," said Lander.
"You have this blonde's number so that we can confirm your alibi?"
"Never got that serious," said Lander with a cocky smile.
"And I bet you don't remember her name," said Warrick.
"I don't really remember a lot of significant details, I was pretty drunk."
Something on Lander's neck caught Nick's eye and he pulled his sunglasses off and narrowed his eyes.
"Those are some nasty scratches on your neck, Mr. Lander. How did you get them?" asked Nick mock innocently.
Lander covered the scratches with his hand and said, smiling arrogantly, "That blonde liked it rough."
Behind his sunglasses Warrick rolled his eyes. What an asshole, he thought.
"Can you explain why your fingerprint was found on some duct tape that was used to tie up Kimmy Barett, Mr. Lander?" asked Nick.
Lander looked from one criminalist to the other and he said in disbelief, "You don't think I had something to do with this?"
Both men remained silent.
"What's my motive?! I made a pass on a chick, she didn't want it. End of story. I'm not some kind of psycho who'd go and kill her family because she shot me down."
"The evidence doesn't lie, Mr. Lander," said Nick, "And your print is on that tape."
"Look," said Lander, "I'll level with you guys. My tool box was stolen about a week ago and I had a roll of duct tape in there!"
"Did you report it?" asked Warrick.
"No, I didn't want to bother you civil servants with something as trifle as that. There wasn't even anything valuable in it."
"How considerate of you," said Warrick dryly.
"Mr. Lander," said Nick pulling out a DNA swab, "I'd like to take a sample of your DNA and I'd like to take a look at your car."
Lander gave a sweet smile and said in a friendly voice, "You guys want my DNA and my car?" his face darkened severely as he said, "Get a warrant."
With that he turned and walked away. Warrick and Nick watched as he got into a dark blue, Mercedes X5 and drove away.
"Oh, you can count on that, Mr. Lander," said Nick to himself.
CSICSICSICSI
"Thank you for coming down, Mrs. Barett," said Brass placing a file on the metal table as Vanessa took a seat. Brass was once again in the interrogation room, this time alone; though Griffin, Grissom and Sara were on the other side of the one way mirror in the observation booth.
"You said on the phone you had some more question, Captain. But I've told you everything I know," said Vanessa slightly confused.
"And I appreciate your cooperation. We received some new information, and we just want to clarify a few things," said Brass as he took a seat opposite Vanessa.
"Well, ask away," said Vanessa holding her head slightly higher.
Brass laid a photo of Derrick Lander on the table and asked, "Do you know this man?"
Vanessa looked at the picture and swallowed hard before she looked up and said, "That's Derrick Lander; he worked on the building I work in."
Brass laid out another picture, this one of Lander and Vanessa kissing in her office. He slid it in front of Vanessa without saying anything.
Vanessa placed a hand on the picture and her lips quivered slightly as she looked up at Brass.
Brass looked into Vanessa's eyes and said gently, "Mrs. Barett?"
Vanessa took a deep breath and seemed to regain some of her composure as she said, "It's not what you think."
"Then what is it, Mrs. Barett. Because it looks like you were cheating on your husband," said Brass as he laid down the pictures they had found on Michael's USB.
"I would never do that to Michael!" yelled Vanessa. "Michael was the sweetest, most kind hearted man I'd ever met! Sure, we had our problems, all couples do, but I loved my husband."
"Sure looks like it," said Brass moving one of the pictures forward, the one of Vanessa and Lander having sex in what looked like someone's apartment.
Vanessa looked down at the pictures for the first time and her mouth fell open.
"Where did you get these?" she asked.
"On a USB found on your husband's person."
Vanessa covered her mouth. She shut her eyes and tears poured down her cheeks.
She sniffed, opened her eyes, picked up the picture and said in a choked voice, "God that explains so much."
Brass motioned for her to continue.
"Michael had been acting odd lately. Angry. Irritable. I thought it was because I'd been working longer hours. I was in the middle of a huge case and I was rarely home. But this must be the real reason."
"Mrs. Barett, please just give me a straight answer," said Brass, "Who is Derrick Lander?"
"I was sixteen when I met Derrick. My parents were quite strict, I was a stupid kid, and Derrick was the town bad boy. My friends were so jealous when Derrick and I started dating, and I was over the moon because this college guy liked me. My parents, of course, didn't approve, so eventually I stopped telling them where I was going."
Vanessa took a deep breath before she continued, "The first time we had sex was two months after we met. It was my first time and it...hurt; it hurt a lot. But I was terrified of losing Derrick, if I said no. So, when he suggested something to help with the pain, I...took it."
"What did he give you?" asked Brass.
"Cocaine. Turned out Derrick was a drug addict, and he got me hooked too. At first it was fun, it was always a party with Derrick. He took me to clubs, bought me expensive gifts. He was...adventurous in bed, sometimes I was reluctant to do the things he wanted, he would act cool with it, but then he'd just get the alcohol and the drugs and eventually I was up for anything (That's when the pictures were taken). Derrick seemed to realize this was the key to my co-operation, so he kept the alcohol and drugs flowing.
"One night, Derrick seemed apprehensive. He was irritable and jumpy. We had just left the club when we got jumped by these goons. They held me against a wall while they beat Derrick up. Apparently, Derrick owed these guys money, and they said if he didn't pay up...they'd kill him and take me as payment. So, Derrick came up with this brilliant plan to rob a convenience store. He convinced me to help him. The night it went down, things went horribly wrong and to cut a long story short, we got caught. Derrick and I got split up. I was seventeen at the time and scared out of my mind. So, I called my parents. My dad was also a lawyer and managed to get me a deal. I would get off, my record would be expunged after I completed rehab, but I was never allowed to see Derrick Lander again. At the time I thought it was a fate worse than death, but I had no choice but to go along with it. So Derrick went to prison and I went to rehab. I got my life together. Caught up on my school, got into Harvard Law and made a better life for myself. I met Michael and I discovered what real love is."
"What happened to Derrick?" Brass asked.
"As per my plea agreement, I never saw or heard from him again, but I heard the judge came down pretty hard on him. He wasn't a first time offender. To be honest I didn't want to have anything to do with him. Then he walked into my office the night Michael was killed. I nearly had a heart attack."
"What did he want?" asked Brass.
"To pick up where we left off," said Vanessa. "He said he was clean. That he was a construction worker, that Fate had given us a second chance when he got a job at my office. I told him I didn't want anything to do with him, that I was married and a mother. That I loved my husband. He said he didn't believe me so he tried to kiss me. I slapped him and told him I'd never loved him. He got very angry. Said I belonged to him and he'd have me no matter the cost. I told him I would call the police, he slammed his fist into the wall and stormed out."
"What did you do next, Mrs Barett?"
"I wanted to head home, but I ended up driving aimlessly around Vegas. I was in kind of a daze. I'm not sure how long I drove around for, but when the daze broke, I was frightened. I just wanted to get home. I wanted Michael to take me in his arms and tell me everything would be okay. But when I got home...I just sat in the driveway. I didn't know how to explain any of this to him. I thought he would start seeing me as some crack whore and not the woman he married. When I finally worked up the courage to go inside...I was too late. He was already dead," Vanessa's voice broke and she began to sob.
Brass handed her a tissue and gently laid a hand on her shoulder. Suddenly a knock that came from behind the one way window. He looked up, excused himself and exited the interrogation room.
"That is one screwed up story," whistled Brass.
"You're telling me," said Griffin.
Sara phone beeped and she checked her text, "Its Greg. The DNA found at the first crime scene, the DNA underneath Kimmy's nails and on the edges of the duct tape are all from a male contributor."
"I think we need to pay a visit to this Lander guy," said Brass.
"I couldn't agree more, Jim," said Grissom.