Title: Distorted
Disclaimer: I do not own anything
Rating: M
Summary: A series of attacks verify that a killer is on the prowl, and eagerly hunting for his next victim. (Grillows)
(spoilers) Set this season
**
Chapter 6
**
Brass pulled up in front of Gil's home, and quickly exited his vehicle. It only took him a few seconds to reach the front door and he immediately began to ring the bell.
"Gil?" he called through the locked door.
When he received no reply, he pulled out his cell phone. At that exact time his phone rang.
"Nick?" he answered, this time knocking loudly on the door. "Has Gil come in?"
Nick shook his head as if Brass could see him "No, neither him nor Catherine, but we've got a lead."
Brass listened intently as he headed back to his vehicle "What's going on?"
"Another victim came forward, same story, the good thing is that when she was assaulted the attacker left his weapon behind."
Brass climbed into his vehicle and started the engine. "Did we get any prints?"
Nick wheeled around on the stool he was sitting on. "I'm running the print through AFIS as we speak."
"Well, I have reason to believe that Glen Sterling ingested the drug found in his system through the water he had drunk from his newly delivered water cooler."
"Water cooler?" Nick repeated "Okay, I'll talk to our vic again and see if she remembers her husband drinking from a water cooler the night he died."
"Sounds good." Brass commented "I'm making a quick stop at Catherine's. Gil may have crashed there, and then I'll be back."
Nick didn't reply before hanging up the phone. He simply flipped his cell closed, and while waiting for a hit on AFIS he dialed the contact number given to him by Mary Bakeman.
"Mrs. Bakeman?" Nick spoke, "It's Nick Stokes from the Las Vegas Crime lab."
**
Brass climbed the front steps leading to Catherine's home intent on ringing the doorbell as he had previously done at Gil's home. He noticed as he walked that Gil's vehicle was parked in the driveway.
When he reached the last step he discovered the front door to Catherine's home was open.
Brass knocked and stuck his head inside the door. "Catherine?" he stepped inside "Grissom?"
As Brass entered the home he was greeted with an eerie silence. He had only been inside a second when he discovered a smear of blood on the back of the door that had been left open.
"Catherine?" he called again, pulling out his gun. "Are you here?"
Brass cautiously stepped forward and made his way deeper in to the home. "Gil?" he called once more. "Ca…" he began only to have his words halted, Brass looked down to see a bloody shoe print and the shoe that had left print in the carpet.
"Gil! Catherine." He called again with more force and volume.
Again Brass didn't get the reply he had hoped for, he continued down the hall with his gun drawn.
**
Inside the bedroom Gil was ripped from his deep sleep by the vibrating of his cell phone. He quickly sat up and looked around. Instantly he regretted making such sharp movements.
Gil's hand shot up toward his throbbing head. "Cath." He whispered looking sideways. "Catherine?" he called again when he discovered she wasn't in the bed next to him.
Gil flipped the sheets off of his body and put his feet on the floor. He couldn't understand why had he went to sleep feeling tired, but had waken with a severe headache and the feeling that he was going to vomit. "Catherine?" he called again, taking note that the bathroom light was off, indicating she wasn't inside.
Gil took a deep breath and tried to stand. He was on his own two feet for no more then a second when his legs buckled and his body crumpled to the floor.
Gil rolled over on his back, took another deep breath and placed his hands on the carpet to discover it was damp, ignoring the warmth he had fallen into he pushed him up. Gil got to his knees and th instant he saw the red substance on his palm his heart began race.
"Cath?" he called trying to stand up, again he fell to his knees. He then noticed the he was now covered in what he knew was blood.
Gil was confused. He kept calling for Catherine but she wasn't answering. He was covered in blood, he didn't know whose blood, but he knew he was surrounded by it.
Gil reached forward and using the bed he was able to get to his feet. He used the bed as a crutch as he stumbled toward the bedroom door.
"Grissom?" Brass yelled to him from the hallway. "What the hell is going on?"
Brass lowered his gun when the blood covered man appeared before of him.
"I…I…...don't. Gil stuttered "Catherine…" he fell to his knees again "I don't…t…k..know."
Brass bent down to help Gil as he called on his radio for an ambulance and assistance.
"There's b…bloo...d." Gil muttered to Brass "Ther…there's b…lood every...where."
"Where's Catherine?" Brass asked as he propped Gil's weak body against the wall. "What happened?"
Gil shook his head "I do…don't know…" he heaved "Where's c…Catherine?"
Brass slid his gun back to its holster and stood up. "I'll be right back." He stepped over Gil and entered the bedroom, immediately he spotted the trail of blood and at the end of the trail he saw a foot.
Brass was back on his knees in seconds, this time he leaned over Catherine's still body. "Catherine?" he flipped her over and felt for a pulse.
"Catherine." He gently shook her. He had found a pulse but it was weak. He needed help and he needed it now. "Cath, open your eyes." He encouraged the unconscious women. "Wake up Cath!"
"Ca…Catherine?"
Brass looked up to find Gil had returned to the bedroom.
"C..Catherine!" he screamed, ignoring the pain in his head "NO!" he fell to his feet and pulled him self to where Brass was sitting. "No…." he repeated, grabbing Catherine's limp body from Brass's grip.
"No….No….." he sobbed rocking back and forth "What did I do?"
Brass watched helplessly as Gil sobbed over Catherine.
"Detective?"
Brass was startled by the booming voice in the hallway. "In here!" he replied, watching as two uniformed officers and two paramedics raced into the room.
"Gil." Brass grabbed at Gil's arms, but Gil violently pulled away. "Gil." He called again "You have to let her go."
Reluctantly Gil let Catherine slip from his arms and the paramedics stepped in.
**
Escorted by an officer Nick approached the front desk of Pure Springs Delivery, and rang the service bell.
"What can I do for you?" A small balding man appeared from behind a small curtain.
Nick looked at the officer and then back at the little man. "I'm looking for Dennis Hoseten."
"Dennis!" the man snorted "If I knew where that S.O.B was it would be a great day."
"Does he work here?" Nick responded
"Not if he doesn't get his ass back her in the next twenty minutes." The mad grunted "At a time he was one of my best delivery men. But in the past few months he's been disappearing for hours after deliveries. When he comes back." He paused "If he comes back, he's tired and grumpy, he acts like he's been out running marathons or fighting crime."
"I was wondering if you could get me a list of the places Mr. Hoseten delivered water jugs to in the past six months.
"Past six months?" the man repeated "That's going to take me awhile "I only keep records in the office for a month."
"Okay." Nick nodded "Well maybe you could tell me if Mr. Hoseten delivered a water jug to a Glen Sterling in the past week."
The man nodded "I know for a fact he did. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling are one of my best customers. They get a new jug once a week; Dennis delivered to them a few days ago, and twice in the past month when he took over for one of my other workers."
"Does Dennis have access to the water before it is given to him for delivery?"
The man shook his head "No, they are imported, and when they arrive here they immediately get delivered. He takes the jugs from one truck and right to the truck he drives."
"Has anyone ever filed a complaint against Mr. Hoseten, has anyone ever had a problem with him?"
"Not lately."
"Not lately?" Nick repeated
"I mean a few months back, maybe five or so. Some lady came in said Dennis was looking at her funny and made some suggestive comments about her body."
"And what did you do?"
"She said she wanted a new delivery man. I told her hard workers didn't grow on trees and if she didn't want to wait for her water she'd have to take what she could get."
"And what did she do?"
"She said she wanted to cancel her services and that the delivery she would receive that week would be her last."
"So nothing was done with Dennis?" Nick was angry "You didn't say anything to him?"
The man shrugged "I wasn't going to make a mountain out of a mole hill."
Nick shook his head in disgust. "And you have no idea where he is now?"
The bald man shook his head. "Well I do now." He motioned the medium built man walking through the door.
"Dennis Hoseten?" Nick turned to the man.
Dennis stopped and looked from Nick to the uniformed police officer. He didn't speak a word before he turned and raced out of the building.
TBC