Chapter 4: Confrontation

Adam was working on one of the computers when Lindsay finally returned from the crime scene. She stalked down the hall, peering in each window to find the younger CSI. Lindsay Monroe Messer was not happy, to say the least.

"What the hell, Adam?" She yelled when she found him hiding behind one of the monitors.

"H- Hi Lindsay."

"Oh, don't 'hi Lindsay' me! What was wrong with you? You kept staring at the poor girl the entire time! It took me twenty minutes before she'd even look at me again!"

"Lindsay, I'm so sorry, I just-"

"No sorry! That's not gonna cut it! She was happy to tell me all about the victim until you scared the living daylights out of her! Now, she could be withholding important information that we need to solve the case! What's gonna happen if she knows the killer, if they're going to do it again? That could prevent another murder! Do you hear me? Another student could end up dead, Adam!" By now, everyone in the crime lab had stopped to stare at the scene. Adam looked around awkwardly and looked down at the ground ashamed of himself. He hadn't thought about that. Adam knew that he sometimes made people uncomfortable, but he never meant to do it at all. He had always been that way. Of course, it didn't help that his father reminded him of that every damn day of his life.

"I really don't think you know how much you could have just jeopardized this entire case. If you really wanted to help, you'd go to Mac and have him pull you off the case," Lindsay said, finally quieting down. When Adam finally looked up, he saw the pained expression plastered on his superior's face. He never knew Lindsay to be one to blow up like that. He always found her to be a soft spoken person, who always looked out for others. But looking at Lindsay now, he saw something different. He saw pure weakness, or some sort of it, which Lindsay clearly wasn't welcoming to. He saw the pure anger from the age of the victim and the stupidity of his actions, the sadness that always accompanied her with every case with a young female victim, and something else he just couldn't put his finger on precisely.

The knowing look in her eyes was that of a victim.

Lindsay shook her head at him and lowered her eyes as she walked out of the lab. Danny, appearing from across the hall, chased her down the hall after glaring viciously at Adam, as if to say what have you done? And even Adam didn't know, he realized as he sunk into the chair. The shame of disappointing someone he respected immensely was killing him and at the same time, he was relieved that the girl was alive. He knew that Lindsay was right, but he couldn't bring himself to talk to Mac to taking him off the case. Finally making up his mind, he stood stiffly and left the lab, searching for the right detective's office.

"Hey Jo, could we talk?" Adam asked, sticking his head in the door as he knocked lightly on the doorframe. To his relief, Lindsay wasn't on her computer, in fact, it looked as if she had just left.

"Sure thing, Adam, sit down," Jo said and waved him inside the office. Adam smiled his thanks and sat down on one of the chairs adjacent to Jo's desk. She finished scribbling something on a hot pink sticky note and turned to him, chin propped up on her knuckles.

At the sight of him, Jo knew this wouldn't be a good talk. She had heard Lindsay from down the hall with the door closed through the glass. She also knew that Lindsay was on edge about the case. That much had been apparent since she arrived at the crime scene and watched the loving CSI walk out of the bathroom. She saw how distressed Adam was about this entire situation. It killed her to see the people she had grown to love so much in a position like this.

"What's up, Adam?"

"Jo, I really screwed up today. Really badly. And I have no idea how to fix it."

"Ah. Lindsay?"

"Yeah," Adam said quietly. "She said that the best thing I could do is remove myself from the case, but I just, I just can't. I want to help. I wanna right my wrong, ya know?"

"I understand. I think while Lindsay brings up a good point, I also believe that that's not the best way to fix this. Work the case, but don't get emotionally involved. Don't give me that look, Adam. I worked with the FBI, its profiling 101, you're already attached to this case emotionally and so is Lindsay. Why?" Adam gawked at her, mouth moving but no words would come out of his mouth. He was desperate for an excuse, anything. He knew that Jo wouldn't be too happy about the fact that he withheld possibly important information, but he couldn't have known it as important… right?

"I found something, it's a blog from one of the girls Lindsay was talking to-" Adam began but was abruptly cut off by Sheldon's entrance.

"Sid has an official COD. Plus, there's a lot of evidence to analyze, so I figured I'd come and get you first. He says it's incredibly important." Sheldon explained quickly, accompanied by the rush of adrenalin the CSIs occasionally felt when there was an abundance of evidence. More evidence sometimes means an easier case. But not always.

"Alright, Adam, we'll talk later," Jo said quickly and bolted out of her seat to join Sheldon in the ME's office. Adam bit his lip and sighed, finally returning to the safety of the monitors to analyze the security cameras that dotted the ceilings of the school.

"What was that about?" Sheldon asked as he and Jo rode the elevator down to the ME's office.

"Adam needed to talk about the case. Something's upsetting him."

"Ah. You and your FBI profiling," Sheldon laughed.

"After so long, it just becomes a part of you. Ever had that moment when you're talking to someone and you're mentally diagnosing them with something based off of their appearance?"

"Yes. Way too many girls lost in the process." Jo found herself laughing.

"It's just all a part of the job," she sighed as the elevator doors opened and the pair exited the shaft.

"So, Sid, what's the official COD?" Sheldon asked and joined the medical examiner by the girl's limp body.

"COD is blunt force trauma to the back of the skull, multiple blows. Also, liver temp puts the TOD at around eleven a.m."

"Which collaborates with what Christina Tucchi said," Jo told Sheldon and he nodded.

"What do you have for us?" Sheldon asked, gesturing to a tray full of evidence containers.

"The killer was probably in a hurry, they left you a serious amount of evidence." As Sid went on to explain what he found and where he found it, the case only became more complex.

"Thanks, Sid," Sheldon said as the pair walked for the elevators.

"Fits Lindsay's thory of a baseball bat as our murder weapon. I'll check out the bats in the school, test them for blood. Talk to you later," Jo said as they arrived back at the crime lab. She hurried to her office, grabbed her keys and returned to the elevator. She ran to her car and slammed on the gas pedal, screeching out of the parking garage. In a matter of minutes thanks to the siren, she arrived at the school and was already halfway to the gymnasium when Sheldon called.

"Danville," she answered immediately and slapped the phone to her cheek.

"Jo, it's Sheldon. I noticed an odd indentation in the victim's skull from the weapon. There was an imprint, star shaped. Try looking for something like that."

"Thanks Sheldon, need anything else?"

"No, good luck, though."

"Thanks." Jo replied as she stepped from the marble steps into a wooden floored gym lobby. Students buzzed about as if nothing had happened. But everyone knew differently.

This case just got a lot harder, Jo couldn't help but think. Another sleepless night.

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all of the comments and reviews! Keep 'em coming! I'm not home next week, but I'm going to try to get the next chapter done for you guys before I leave on Sunday. Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Love ya!