GRISSOM VS. THE DOMINATRIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

Grissom stared dumbly at the phone in his hand, registering the dial tone that seemed to mock him. She's right. It's going to take a lot more than an apology. Now what? Go see her. Go to work. Enough of hiding at home.

Grissom showered and dressed, taking extra time to appear professional and steady his nerves. He drove to the lab and strode quickly down the halls, looking in each room. None of his team was present, but for Catherine, who, as Sara had said, was nearly hidden behind piles and boxes of evidence in the layout room.

"Catherine," he said calmly, snapping on a pair of latex gloves.

"Well, well. Look who decided to show up," she sneered. "Thought you were sick. What the hell, Gil."

Grissom tried to deflect and ignore. "What's the case? What do we know?"

"Oh no, you don't. I deserve an explanation, at least," she demanded.

He raised his eyebrows and regarded her.

"You look healthy to me! And I've known you to drag yourself to work when you were at death's door! Where were you?"

"I needed some...personal time." He turned his back and looked over the crime scene photos along the wall.

"Personal time," she spat. "Must be nice..."

"You have been known to abruptly leave a crime scene for personal reasons, you know," Grissom said mildly.

Catherine couldn't dispute that so she trailed off, seething, with one last shot.

"If I was your boss, I'd fire you. Suspend you, at the very least."

"Point taken. Good thing you'll never be my boss. Now...how can I help?"

"I'll deal with this," she muttered. "I'm sure the others could use help at their scenes."

"I'm here now. And I know it will go faster with the two of us."

They set to work, and Catherine thawed a little more and then more as they spoke only of the case and not the source of her irritation. Hours passed. A familiar voice from down the hall made Gil's head jerk up. He practically leapt to the door and looked in that direction. Catherine's eyebrows knit together at his odd behavior.

Sara, grimy, her hair tied back tightly, and clad in baggy blue coveralls, was walking toward them, in conversation with Nick. As she got closer, she glanced forward and spotted her supervisor in the doorway, dumbly gaping at her. Her eyes narrowed in irritation as she gave him a quick dismissive up and down glance, then brushed by to address only Catherine.

"Hey. I think our cases might be related. Be right back," she called, then walked away.

Nick halted a moment and acknowledged Grissom. "Thought you were off, sick?"

"He was taking some personal time," Catherine told him sarcastically, and the three snickered. Nick followed Sara into the locker room. Grissom pouted a little, feeling ganged up on. Can't a man take a day or two off?

Before long, Sara and Nick returned and they each chose a side of the table. Sara efficiently explained the similarities of her case to Catherine's as the others nodded and listened.

Grissom removed his gloves to flip through a file, looking for a particular page. Catherine gasped and grabbed his wrist.

"What the hell is this?" she demanded loudly. "Ligature marks...Handcuffs?"

Nick, Catherine, and Sara all stared at his wrist, then up at his face. Catherine reached for his other hand and he jerked it away. But Sara grabbed it firmly and pushed up his cuff.

Each woman tightly gripped an arm. They all stared at the mark of handcuffs on his wrists. No one spoke for a full minute.

"So." Cath spoke at last. "Care to explain?"

"No," he said quickly.

"Okay. We all know how to interpret evidence, right, guys? I think we would have been told if you'd been arrested...not to mention you'd never work in law enforcement again...so..."

"Catherine..." he said warningly, "don't finish that thought."

"Ha! Why not, may I ask? Because you've been exposed? As someone who enjoys...sweet mother of God..."

"What?" Nick asked, confused.

"Enjoys...being dominated. Restrained, during sex...My god, Gil, you've been with Lady Heather!"

TBC