Chapter Four

Nick woke with a start. After a moment of composure he looked for the source of awakening but couldn't find it. He sat up and a glance of the clock told him he had another three and a half hours before he had to leave for work.

After his daily routine of scrambled eggs and toast, he decided that a much needed cleaning would be done to his apartment. He started with the kitchen, then the bedroom and the living room. Halfway through his living room, his phone rang.

And again.

And again. He walked to the caller ID and sighed. Reluctantly, he picked up the phone.

"Hey, mom."

"Oh, Nick! It's been two weeks! We've been so worried about you." Nick sighed.

"I'm fine, Mom. I swear. How's the family?"

"Oh! Your sister's expecting! Annie!"

"Again?" he groaned.

"Yes, again! They're hoping for a girl this time 'round." He could hear Jillian's smile. "This'll be our 12th grandbaby Nick. I think it's time you thought about settling down with a girl." Nick sighed. He hated this conversation.

"Mom, I'm gonna be late for work soon. I have to let you go."

"Nicholas, it's barely been five minutes!"

"I know mom, but suspects are loose. I have to find them while they're still in-state." His mother sighed.

"I love you, Nicholas."

"You too mom." He clicked his phone shut and grabbed his keys. He decided to go in early.

The lab was unusually quiet when Nick walked in. Only the distant humming of various machines could be heard. He headed for the coffee. Hopefully Greg made a pot.

Greg had not yet made a pot but Warrick was in the break room waiting for him.

"Hey, you run that shoe print yet?" he asked.

"Nah, just got here," came Nick's quiet reply. "But I'm gonna do it soon."

"Hey, you guys get anywhere with that robbery?" Nick sipped the motor oil and gave a cursory glance to his boss. Nick was about to answer when Grissom thrust a paper at them. "Looks like someone's going on a little spree. Another jewelry store." Nick hung his head.

"We're waiting on DNA from Greg and Bobby with a bullet." Grissom nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, check it out. Tell me if it looks like your case." Warrick took the slip and Sara came in.

"You're late," he announced. Sara threw a look at Nick and sighed.

"It won't happen again."

Nick raised an eyebrow, but kept all thoughts to himself.

"I think we can rule out insurance fraud," commented Warrick. He stood and left the break room with Nick on his heels.

"Maybe, but a professional wouldn't have left blood at the scene, 'Rick. I think you know that too." Warrick laughed a little.

"Screw up?" Nick laughed and held out his keys.

"Not unheard of, but not likely. I'm driving." Warrick snorted in response.

Once inside the safety of the car, Nick ambiguously relayed last night's-yesterday morning's-events to his best friend, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"So she wasn't there this morning?"

"Nah, man. It's like she's a ghost or something."

"Nicky," started Warrick. "Don't you think you're bordering a little heavy on obsession here? You don't even know her name. All you know about her is that she's pretty."

Nick wanted to argue, but what grounds would he have? "You're right, 'Rick."

"Maybe you just need to get laid, Nick." Nick laughed. He supposed that was probably true. "How long has it been for you?"

"Since Kristi." Warrick let out a low whistle. "I know, 'Rick. I'm not gonna say I haven't had offers, because I have. It feels like a curse or something sometimes."

"Well, if that's a curse, I'd be glad to take it anytime." Both boys laughed at the thought.

The scene looked almost exactly like the other one. Two busted counter-tops, glass everywhere. Nick looked around the store. The cameras had been shot out.

"Damn," muttered Nick. He began setting his yellow markers out and photographing broken bits of glass on the ground.

"Looks like our other robbery," Warrick commented.

"Yeah, except they shot the cameras out," said Nick. "It means they're getting smarter and possibly escalating."

"Means we gotta catch these guys."

No sooner than when they arrived at the lab did Nick's pager go off. He looked at the electronic device as it interrupted a mild but pleasant conversation. Warrick looked up.

"Hey, Greg got our DNA results back."

"Alright, I'm gonna go check with Bobby about our bullet, and drop the new ones off." Warrick waved his kit and headed toward ballistics.

Nick, on the other hand, headed for the DNA lab but when he was close, he stopped four feet short. The sound of a very beautiful instrumental piece hit his ears, and he watched, in a sort of trance, as Greg began conducting.

Just when Nick thought the song was ending, a rough patch in the song started. Drums backed up the piano and reed instruments. Was that a violin? A cello maybe? Nick tilted his head to the side. Never figured Greg for a classical kind of man. And just as quickly as the speed had picked up, it slowed down again, only a flute, or something, playing a duet with a piano.

Greg stood waving two papers around, and spun with the music a few times. It reminded Nick of the rain very briefly, and right when Greg pointed to the stereo, the song picked up again. He jumped around his lab, conducting, spinning, pushing buttons on his machines, and stopping to clap at the appropriate times.

With a spontaneous amount of energy, Greg waved off something in the distance as the music became increasingly rapid, and with a few loud drum beats came to a stop. Greg laid his head back. His face was flushed, lips slightly parted, sweat dripped across his forehead and his half lidded eyes glossed in a daze.

Beautiful, thought Nick. And a moment later, that he can get so absorbed by music.

"You okay?" came a deep voice. Nick shook himself out of the spell and turned to face Warrick.

"Yeah, man. Just didn't wanna interrupt his rain dance to some roman goddess." Nick glanced at Warrick. "What's up with that bullet?"

"Standard Glock 9mm pistol," countered Warrick. "No DNA anywhere on the gun."

Warrick and Nick strode into the DNA lab and Warrick turned down Greg's music. "What's with the rain dance?" Nick asked.

Greg looked up from his daze with a goofy grin. "It's called 'Moon Dance' by a band known as Nightwish." Nick nodded in false familiarity. "What else can I do for you?"

"Blood we found from the scene," quipped Warrick. Greg shuffled through his papers, and pulled up a sheet.

"XX," announced Greg. "I ran it through CODIS, got a hit. And, ah, I double checked it. One of your smashers is a chick." Greg grinned.

"Penelope Williams," Nick said aloud.

"I'll call Brass and have him pick her up," finished Warrick.

A heartbeat later Greg and Nick stood alone in the lab.

"That song," Nick began, "reminds me of sudden rainstorms out here in Vegas. They appear suddenly, sometimes harsh and loud, but they mellow out and fade almost as quickly as they came." Greg gave an impish grin.

"It's infectious, isn't it?" Nick nodded. "Hey, what happened to your mystery girl?" Nick heaved a long sigh.

"She wasn't there last night. I was thinking I'd try again tonight." Greg vigorously shook his head. "What? Why not?"

"Well, this morning will be 18 and up. Anyone who goes there at all knows not to go toni-this morning. I highly doubt she'll be there." Nick nodded pensively.

"So I should wait until Friday?"

"I would. Besides, you look like you need all the sleep you can get." Nick laughed.

"I do, believe me. Anyway, I'll try to go on Friday." Greg wiggled his eyebrows, but offered no comment to help Nick any farther. "Anyway, I got a girl to go interrogate. Catch you later, G."

Nick breezed out of the lab, mentally preparing himself for an interrogation.