Disclaimer: See Chapter One…
A/N: Wow, after so long between chapter updates I thought I would have lost a lot of readers, but I am so happy to say that I've still got you all interested! Thank you all so much for sticking with me:) A special shout out goes to Jessie, for convincing me to dig out these last few chapters seeing as I haven't put on up since "No-freaking-vember" (Right Jess? lol). And a special thank you goes to Cass for continually asking what was going to come next. I want to also thank everyone else who has reminded me that this story needs an ending. I feel so honoured that my writing warrants this kind of attention.
So on with the chapter.
Em
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Accidental
Chapter Six
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"Hey, why aren't you in there?" Nick asked Sara as he entered the observation room with her.
Sara turned around; she looked as though she had been in deep concentration, "Huh?"
Nick softened his voice in sympathy at her obvious inner conflict and pointed into the interrogation, "Well, this is you type of thing; the interrogations."
"I'm biased to the suspect."
"Who?"
"It's Ben. The guy who got me through," she hesitated, "Well, he got me through a lot."
"Wait, that's the guy who was at the crime scene?" Sara nodded
"He looks run down."
"He's been training Kane, the new kid, he's not the sharpest tool in the box; takes a lot of work."
"Like you training Greg?"
Sara cracked a smile, "Worse."
Nick nodded and smiled. They both turned their attention back to the interrogation where Brass and Grissom were questioning Ben.
"Mr. Sharp, we know the smoothie that killed Angela Greenwood came from your establishment. We know Angela was a regular. We know that her friends were against your smoothies. So, what we don't know is why you would want to kill the innocent girl in this," Brass said while playing the intimidation card and leaning over Ben.
"I told you already, I admit to knowing Angela and not liking her friends. But like you said, why would I kill the innocent party? Angela was a sweet girl, she didn't deserve to die. I don't know how the banana got into her smoothie, I take her order nearly everyday and she always asks for no banana, I am very careful with the special orders. Ask Sara. Sara Sidle. She's a regular too; allergic to strawberries. I always honour that request."
From inside the observation room Sara nodded, "He did not do this. There is no malice in that man's body."
Nick faced her, empathy shining in his eyes, "I can see why you didn't do the questioning."
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"We have enough to hold him for twenty-four hours, then he's free to go," Brass said as he, Sara, Grissom and Nick walked out of PD and into the morning air.
"There's no point in holding him, he didn't do this. We can't even link him to the crime scene, there was no evidence of the smoothie at the scene; no cup, no straw, nothing."
"You're biased to him because you know him," Brass countered, trying to lure Sara back to logical thinking.
It didn't work because as far as Sara was concerned, she was being logical, "Exactly, I know him as well as I know all of you, he's a friend who I would never assume of murder. Nick it's like the year I started out here, when your friend was killed and you were a suspect. I barely knew you and I still knew you would never do it. Ben's like that, he did not hurt that girl."
At the mention of Kristie Hopkins, Nick seemed to consider Sara's point of view, "OK, lets say Sara's right, we're turning up dead ends with Ben anyway; lets look at other possibilities. Who else would have wanted Angela dead?"
Grissom was about to say something when his phone started ringing, he instead turned his attention to the piece of technology in his hand, "Grissom," "Oh, hi Cath," "Really?" "What like?" "Damn." Everyone watched as Grissom closed his eyes at what was obviously bad news, "OK, thanks."
He hung up.
"What's wrong?" Sara asked.
"Catherine was over at the scene, going through the skip bins around the building, she found a Smoothie Shack cup," He sighed, "They're sending it to DNA, hopefully it's not Angela or we have serious trouble."
"No we don't. Ben is innocent." Sara said it with defiance, walking the remaining meters to her car.
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"Hey Wendi."
"Hey," the new DNA lab technician reached around her desk looking for the results from the Smoothie Shack cup, "I ran the DNA from the cup and sent the rest over to Hodges. He just gave me the results to give to you, but I can't find them," Wendi rustled through a few more pages before holding up the offending sheet of paper with a triumphant "Ha! Here you go." She handed the paper to Sara.
"Thank you."
"Not a problem. You're not going to like what it is. The Tox results show mango, peach, strawberries, yogurt, milk and banana. That's the ingredients down."
"What did the DNA show?"
Wendi pulled out another sheet of paper, "It's a match to your vic. I tested the outside rim, the straw and the contents; all of it was her DNA."
"Good, now all we need is a culprit."
"Oh, I thought they had the guy in holding."
"He didn't do it," Sara said without missing a beat, "We're just having a bit of trouble finding another reasonable link."
Wendi shrugged her shoulders, "What about other employee's?"
Sara waved her hand dismissively while still looking at the DNA and Tox results, "Ben runs the place by himself," then she got it, she looked up from the sheet, "But lately he's been training a new guy." She pulled out her phone and dialed Brass. "Thanks Wendi."
Wendi shrugged and smiled, "Anytime."
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"Brass, hey. Can I get you and your guys to pick up a Kane Taylor from the Smoothie Shack?"
"What basis?"
"Only other person with access to Angela Greenwood's smoothie."
"Good enough for me, I'll meet you at PD."
"Thanks," she hung up and put her phone back in her pocket before heading over to the Police Department.
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OK…so I hope that got your appetites sated! Again, I truly do appreciate the support. I hope to have the next chapter up tomorrow, and I think that may be the last of the story. I'm hoping to do a sequel, but I'm not sure how I'll go writing 'pregnant Sara.' I may have a way to work around it, but I'll let ya's know tomorrow.
Please leave a review, you know how much I love them. Much love!
Em