Chapter Four ;

Behind Closed Doors

At the apartment, Sara was flipping through a case file at the kitchen table. She read over notes about a murder of a nine-year old girl. She heard movement coming from her bedroom. Grissom's figure appeared in the hallway, and then came across the space between the kitchen and the area considered as a living room to where Sara was sitting. He put a hand on her back, and a hand on the table and leaned over her shoulder.

Sara looked up briefly and smiled at him, then looked back down at the file. She turned the page and a picture of the nine-year old girl in the morgue revealed itself.

"We haven't caught him yet," Grissom finally said, with a slight trace of disappointment in his voice.

Sara sighed, "I know."

Grissom put his arms around her, he could hear it in Sara's voice that this case was killing her. It was a tough one, this little girl was taken to an open field where she was beaten for six hours before she was strangled. Her arms and legs were tied up, and she was helpless. The CSI's had figured out that their killer advertises himself as a babysitter, then when the parents leave, he takes the child to a different location and thinks up ways to torture them before he kills them.

The CSI's confirmed that he was officially a serial killer two days ago, when they found that the DNA in the semen found in another child to match a hair they found on this girl.

"Can you imagine what the parents feel like?" Sara asked. "They thought they could trust him, they let him into their home, they left him alone with their child." Sara paused. "Then he took their trust and tortured the child through her cries, then kills her in ways so that the child feels the life being forced out of them." Both victims, both children, had been young girls, younger than ten-years old.

Grissom's arms were still around Sara. "I know, I know," he said soothingly. He knew that Sara hated cases that had to do with betraying trust.

Grissom pulled away and looked at her face. She had tears in her eyes, which she was now wiping away. Grissom took her hand in his.

"We'll catch him, we'll get him," He assured her.

Sara looked at him and nodded, then let out a little smile. She sighed, "Dani's home alone tonight, we both have shift," she said with hurt in her eyes.

Grissom opened his mouth slightly, his eyes moved back and forth, thinking of something to do. Neither of them felt safe leaving Dani home alone while this guy was out there, but they didn't want to call a babysitter because of the worry they would have while at work.

"We could invite Adam to stay over, I'm sure that both of them here would be safe," Grissom suggested.

Sara smiled, then pursed her lips. She had a certain look in her eyes.

Grissom let out a dry laugh. "They're friends," he said.

"Sure, but I see the way they look at each other," Sara said. "There's something there, and I think Dani has thought about it, a lot. I think she knows that she likes him as more than a friend, but she doesn't want to ruin their friendship because they are so comfortable around each other. If they date, then go back to being friends, everything would be awkward," She explained.

"You just proved my point," Grissom said with a smile.

Sara opened her mouth to argue, then figured out that she did. They might have feelings for each other as more than friends, but they were only friends.

"Do you see the way Adam looks at her?" Grissom asked.

"Yes! And he begged his Mom to allow him to go to Butterfield Academy!" Sara paused, "It's cute."

Grissom let out another dry laugh, "It is."

Sara looked back down at the case file, then closed it. She didn't want to think about the case right now. There was a small moment of silence.

"Everyone's on shift tonight," Grissom told her, "We'll get him." He had noticed the look on Sara's face when she had closed the file. Sara looked up at him and nodded, it assured her, somewhat.