"What proof do you have?" State Attorney Rebecca Nevins asked Frank and Calleigh.
"Miguel, Raquel's brother. And then the neighbor who saw her go into Jason Ash's house." Frank said.
"Surely you two know by now that it's not enough." Rebecca said, "Can you prove that the statement is true?"
"Are you kidding?!" Calleigh growled, "Have you even met Raquel?"
"Ms Duquesne. I'm sorry. But this case will never go to court. You have to find more." Rebecca apologized.
"Oh for god's sake, that woman paid Jason Ash to shoot H and Joseph!" Calleigh growled.
"Cal, calm down. We have no choice but to find more." Frank said.
"I'm sorry. I have not met her, but I do know that she has to be evil, since everybody here hates her." Rebecca said, "But I can't do anything yet."
Frank nodded.
"Thanks anyway Ms Nevins." He said.
Rebecca nodded and left.
"How do we find more?" Calleigh said.
"You're the CSI Calleigh." Frank said.
"Yeah, but you know as well." Calleigh said, "My brain isn't working." She sighed.
"Calleigh, you need to rest. Why don't you go home?" Frank said.
"Frank, we all need to rest." Calleigh said, "And I won't go home until we have found all the evidence we can to put Raquel behind bars." She said.
Just then, Valera walked up to them. She had just heard that Nevins would not prosecute Raquel.
Valera was furious.
"Is Nevins serious?" She asked.
Calleigh nodded, "I have to admit that she's right Val. We don't have enough."
Valera sighed.
"All you have to do is to look at the woman to understand that she's capable of murder." Valera said.
"I know." Calleigh said, "Natalia and I will go back to the house."
"Natalia?" Valera asked.
"Yeah."
"Calleigh, she's on a conference in Boston remember?" Valera said.
"Oh yeah, that's right." Calleigh sighed.
"Has anyone called her?" Frank asked.
"Yeah. In fact she should be in Miami in about two hours." Valera said.
"I had completely forgotten about her." Calleigh said.
"Don't worry about it. Calleigh, you are taking too much work on yourself." Valera said, "Don't burn yourself out."
Calleigh nodded.
"Any news from the hospital?" Frank asked.
"Horatio is still in surgery, he should be out in… um… two hours, I think." Valera said.
"And Joseph?" Calleigh asked.
"Still not looking so good." Val sighed.
"Alright. I'll grab Ryan and head to Jason Ash's house." Calleigh said.
"Shouldn't you talk to Alexx and see what has found?" Frank asked.
"I don't think I can handle looking at the man who did this." Calleigh said, "Tell Natalia to do it when she arrives."
-I-
Ryan and Calleigh had never seen a house so full of garbage.
Jason Ash's house was full of cigarettes, shredded paper, mud, coffee stains, milk stains, empty containers, old food and god knows what else.
"I hope none of this is contagious." Ryan said.
Calleigh nodded.
"I'm not sure what we're looking for." Calleigh admitted.
"Well, I don't think that Raquel and Jason wrote any deal down on paper." Ryan said, "But maybe we can find other evidence that she was in here. That would confirm the neighbor's statement." He said.
"Yeah, but it's going to take a while to find something in this mess." Calleigh said.
"Maybe not. Look at this." Ryan said, "A small footprint. And it looks to be from high- heels." Ryan said.
"Yeah, you're right." Calleigh smiled, "I have a feeling its' going to be a perfect match to Raquel's shoes."
Ryan nodded.
"Wait, did you hear that?" He asked.
"What?"
"Listen."
Calleigh listened closely. And heard what sounded like someone tripping over boxes and glass.
Ryan and Calleigh grabbed their guns and walked towards what was most likely the kitchen. But who knew with all the dirt in the house.
"Miami Dade PD!" Calleigh said as she saw a brown haired man trying to get up from the floor.
The man froze.
"Whoa!" He said when he saw two guns pointing at him.
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Ryan asked.
"I'm Derek Alperton. I live here man." Derek said.
"Do you know Jason Ash?" Calleigh asked.
"Yeah… I'm renting a room here." Derek said.
Calleigh and Ryan lowered their guns and Derek stood up.
"Has something happened to Jason?" Derek asked.
"He's dead." Ryan said.
"Oh man, that's bad." Derek said, "How?"
"He crashed into a tree with his car." Ryan said, "Just minutes after he had shoot two people."
"He shot someone?!" Derek exclaimed.
"Yeah, a CSI and a civilian." Calleigh said.
"Oh damn. I never thought Jason would do something like that." Derek said.
"Do you know if he met someone today?" Calleigh asked, "Someone who came into the house?"
"Yeah, or I mean… Jason was talking to someone, but I was in my room. I only heard what he answered." Derek said, "I only use the kitchen and bathroom, it's the cleanest rooms in the house. And as you can see even those rooms are dirty." Derek said, "Jason lived at a trash yard."
"What did Jason say?" Ryan asked.
"Something like, "you're crazy, that's illegal."" Derek said, "And "Ten thousand is a lot of money, but I can't do it.".
"And you have no idea who the other person was?" Calleigh asked.
Derek shook his head.
"No, but I do know that Jason had a lot of money on the living room table." Derek said, "And then he must have left or something. I came back like five minutes later and the money was gone."
Calleigh sighed.
"Did you hear what kind of shoes the other person was wearing?"
"Are you kidding?" Derek asked, "Why would I listen for that?"
"Alright, would you mind leaving a statement down at the station?" Ryan asked.
"Sure." Derek said.
Derek left the house with an officer.
Calleigh sighed.
"Cal, let's go back to the lab and look at those shoeprints." Ryan said.
"We're not done here." She said."Yeah, but we are too tired to notice things right now. Maybe with some rest and a new pair of eyes, like Natalia's, we can spot something new." Ryan said.
Calleigh nodded in agreement.
--
Across town Natalia had arrived to the lab and been told everything that had happened.
She was now down in the morgue with Alexx.
"So this is the guy?" Natalia asked and pointed at Jason Ash's body.
"Yeah." Alexx said.
"What have you got?" Natalia asked.
"Time of death was around ten, five to twelve." Alexx said, "He must have shoot Horatio and Joseph. And in fear of being caught, driven to fast and crashed into a tree." Alexx said.
"What exactly killed him?" Natalia asked.
"A piece of glass that entered his temple." Alexx said.
"Anything out of the obvious?"
"Yeah, this." Alexx said and picked up a plastic bag, "Ten thousand dollars. Found them in the back pocket of his pants."
"Great, hopefully there will be prints on them." Natalia smiled.
Her phone started ringing and she picked it up.
"Natalia… Hi… Really?… Well, that's great… Alright.. Yeah, guess what? Alexx found ten thousand dollars in his pocket." Natalia said, "Yeah, I'll run them for prints… Great see you soon." She hung up.
"Calleigh?" Alexx asked.
"Yeah. They went to Ash's house and found shoeprints that looks like they belong to high- heels. They found a roommate that heard Jason talking to someone. He only heard what Jason said though. And guess what?" Natalia said.
"He heard Ash mention something about ten thousand dollars." Alexx said.
"That's right. He said that Jason talked about something being illegal, and calling someone crazy. Then he said that ten thousand dollars was a lot of money, but he refused to take them at first." Natalia said.
"He must have changed his mind." Alexx said.
"Yeah. Calleigh said there was a bit more, but she'd tell me when she came back to the lab." Natalia said.
"I hope this can bring Raquel down." Alexx said.
"Me too."
-I-
Eric and his sister Maya were in the OR waiting room.
Jason walked in with a smile on his face.
"You have good news right?" Eric asked.
"Yeah, I do. Horatio's surgery was over a bit faster then we had though." Jason said, "He's stabile and we only had to remove was his spleen. His lung is fixed." Jason smiled.
Eric sighed in relief.
"But we aware that there is still a risk for the damage to open again." Jason said, "If he can make it through the night without complications, things will look good."
"Please tell me I can see him." Eric said.
"Yes you can, he's in the ICU, room 215." Jason said.
"Thank you so much Jason." Eric said.
"Don't mention it Eric." Jason smiled.
Eric ran out of the room. Maya stayed behind.
"Any news on dad?" She asked.
"Yes, if he goes through this hour without any problems. He will go into surgery." Jason said.
Maya sighed.
"Things are starting to get better." She said.
"Yes, they are." Jason smiled.
Maya nodded.
"Thank you Jason."
Jason smiled.
Maya then walked away to find Eric. She saw him standing outside room 215.
He watched Horatio through the window.
Several machines were hooked up to Horatio. Monitoring his heartbeat, breathing. Everything.
He had an oxygen mask on him, and under his hospital clothes, his chest was covered with bandages.
"What are you waiting for Eric?" Maya asked softly.
"I've never seen him like this. People don't imagine H ever being in a situation like this one." Eric said, "Today I realized just how much I need him in my life. How much I love him. I can't be without him Maya." Eric smiled.
"And you won't." Maya said, "And by the way. Dad will hopefully go into surgery in about an hour." She smiled.
Eric nodded. Maya could see that he had tears in his eyes.
"Go in now Eric. I think you need some alone time with him." She said.
Eric nodded and went inside the room.
He sat down on the right side of Horatio's bed. He reached out to grab his hand.
"I don't think you can hear me H." Eric said, "I love you more than anything." He smiled.
He felt a light squeeze on his hand.
Eric softly kissed Horatio's hand.
Outside Maya stood watching.
She wished that one day she could meet her true love. She was the only one of the Delko siblings without a partner.
For many years, she had wanted to stay single. Now she wanted nothing more than to settle down.
She picked up her phone to call the lab and her sisters.
-I-
Two hours had passed.
Natalia hadn't found any prints on the money. Calleigh had however matched the shoeprints from the house to Raquel's shoes.
And with the statements from the neighbor, Derek and Miguel. They felt that they had a solid case.
Once again, Calleigh and Frank met up with Rebecca Nevins; do get her to take the case to court.
Rebecca sighed.
"Did you know that Derek is a drug addict?" Rebecca said.
Frank sighed, "Oh for heaven's sake Nevins."
"Frank, I want to get Raquel for this, I really do. But with this evidence I can't." She said.
"We have put her in the house, through the shoeprints and the neighbor's statement. Miguel can testify that she wanted him to kill Eric and Joseph." Calleigh said, "Derek says that he saw ten thousand dollars on the living room table. And we have the ten thousand dollars." She said.
"Derek is an addict, no one will believe him. You can't prove that Raquel actually handed Ash the money or that she was even the one that he talked to." Rebecca said, "All Derek heard was Ash's response to questions."
Frank sighed, "Raquel must have worn gloves. Can't we at least take a look at her bank records?" Frank asked.
"Yeah, but in the mean time, she's free to go." Rebecca said, "You can't hold her."
Calleigh sighed, "Can you make sure that she doesn't leave the city?"
"I can have someone tail her." Rebecca said.
"I'll get a warrant for her bank records and her house." Frank said.
--
It didn't take Frank long to get the warrant. Since no one wanted nothing more than to close the case and convict someone for the shooting of Horatio and Joseph.
Frank and Calleigh were in Raquel's house, while Ryan and Natalia checked her bank records back at the lab.
"She has very clean house." Frank said, "And what the hell is that smell?"
Frank sneezed.
"Flowers." Calleigh said, "There is nothing wrong with flowers."
"There is too much of it." Frank said.
"Can you go and check the living room for evidence, while I take the bedroom?" Calleigh asked.
Frank nodded.
"I think that the best chance we have to nail her is by Natalia and Ryan finding something in her bank records." Frank said.
Calleigh sighed.
"Yeah, I hate to admit it. But I don't think that we will find enough evidence to nail Raquel." Calleigh said sadly.
Frank nodded.
"But it doesn't hurt to look. And while we're here why don't we really turn everything upside down?" He smirked
--
"Find anything?" Natalia asked.
Ryan sighed.
"No, we've been over this paper four times now. I can't see anything." Ryan said.
"Unless it's odd that she has practically never done anything with her money." Natalia said.
"Yeah, well she has always used Joseph's money." Ryan said.
"Have we checked his bank records?" Natalia asked.
"He locked his account from her two weeks ago Nat." Ryan said, "She couldn't have taken any money from him."
"What if she did it before that?" Natalia asked.
Ryan thought for a second.
"Yeah, it doesn't hurt to look." He said.
"Ryan, it's the only chance we got." She said.
"No, let's check Miguel's records just to be sure." Ryan said, "I'll get us a warrant."
--
Forty minutes had passed.
Calleigh and Frank had checked almost every room in Raquel's house, except bathroom, kitchen and the study.
So far, they had nothing.
"Calleigh, if she has anything it's probably in the study." Frank said.
"Raquel is a smart woman Frank. She might have hidden whatever it is we're looking for at the most unbelievable place." Calleigh said and moved inside the bathroom.
"Like in the toilet?" Frank asked.
Calleigh shrugged.
"Yeah, I think that it's a possibility." She said.
Frank sighed.
"What are we looking for Calleigh?" He asked.
"Anything that proves she ordered the hit on Horatio and Joseph." Calleigh said, "It's better that we look and don't find anything, than not looking and missing something."
Frank nodded in agreement.
--
"Anything?" Natalia asked.
"No, you?" Ryan asked.
Natalia sighed.
"Miguel is clean." She said.
"Joseph too." Ryan said.
"Then from where and who did she get the money?" Natalia asked.
"I don't know. Friends?" Ryan asked.
"But which friend just gives you ten thousand without asking any questions?"
"Maybe she took a few thousand from several people." Ryan said, "She probably told them some story of how lonely she was and how everybody hated her."
Natalia said.
"So, what? We should check all her friends bank records as well?" She asked.
"We don't know how many friends she has." Ryan sighed.
"So what now?" Natalia asked.
Ryan sighed.
"We ask Miguel who Raquel's closest friends are." Ryan said.
After a phone call to Miguel, they now had two names.
"Alright, Kim Bryant and Penelope Marcela." Ryan said.
"Do you think we will get a warrant?" Natalia asked.
"Yeah, I do." Ryan said.
--
"Calleigh we have checked every single room in the house." Frank said, "We have nothing."
Calleigh sighed in frustration.
"Yeah, and I just got a call from Natalia. She and Ryan only have to people left to check." She said.
"And if they don't find anything. Nevins won't take this case to court." Frank said.
"We can hire someone else." Calleigh said.
"Calliegh, Nevins is the best. I don't think anyone else will take this to court either." He said.
"We're screwed." Calleigh sighed.
"Raquel has somehow managed to wipe out the evidence." Frank said, "But she will pay sooner or later Cal."
Calleigh sighed.
--
An hour later. Ryan, Nat, Calliegh and Frank once again tried to persuade Rebecca Nevins to take the case to court.
"You guys got nothing new." Rebecca said, "I'm sorry."
"Rebecca, we know in our hearts and souls that Raquel is guilty." Natalia said.
"But you can't prove it." Rebecca said.
"Please Rebecca." Ryan pleaded, "She's evil and she's guilty."
"The statements has to count for something." Frank said.
Rebecca sighed.
"Alright, I'll do it." She said, "But don't have to high hopes on winning."
Calleigh, Frank, Ryan and Nat smiled.
"Thank you Rebecca." Calleigh sighed.
Rebecca nodded.
"I know that you guys are right. But you have to understand why this will be a tough case in court." She said.
"We do." Frank said.
-I-
Alexx knocked softly on the door and then walked inside Horatio's room.
Eric smiled at her. She sat down on the left side of the bed.
"He squeezes my hand sometimes." Eric smiled, "I think he does it every time he wakes up. Though he hasn't opened his eyes yet. But then again, he probably doesn't stay awake for many minutes."
"You're probably right." Alexx said, "I talked to Jason."
"Yeah, anything new?" Eric asked.
"You're dad is in surgery. He has been for an hour." Alexx said, "Maya should have told you, but she fell asleep in the waiting room."
"Oh, I completely forgot about her and dad when I walked in here." Eric said.
"Don't worry. She said that you shouldn't be anywhere but here." Alexx smiled, "But I sent her home."
Eric nodded, "I will have to leave to check on dad later."
"Or I can do it for you." Alexx said, "Or your other sisters."
Eric nodded.
"I want to check for myself as well. Horatio would understand." Eric said.
"If Horatio was more awake he'd probably tell you to go home and get some sleep." Alexx said, "Which I by the way think you should as well."
Eric sighed.
"I want to stay here tonight." He said.
"Trish and Elena are on their way here. They can keep an eye on Horatio. As can I and the rest of the team." Alexx said.
"I know, but for tonight I want to stay." Eric said, "I can sleep tomorrow."
"What do we have on the case anyway?" Eric asked.
"A statement from Miguel that proves that Raquel wanted you and Joseph to be shot. A neighbor that says Raquel walked into Jason Ash's, who is our shooter's, house. A roommate that says Jason received ten thousand dollars from an unknown person. We found the ten thousand dollars, but no prints on them. Shoe prints that puts Raquel inside Ash's house." Alexx said, "And as soon as we get all the bullets from Horatio and Joseph we will prove that Jason's gun was used to shoot them. But that won't be much of a surprise. And it still doesn't prove that Raquel paid him."
"Will Nevins take it to court?" Eric asked.
"Yes, but, there is a big risk that we won't win. We barely have enough evidence."
"It sounds enough." Eric said.
"No, we can't prove that the statements are true. However, that wasn't the biggest problem. One of the biggest problems was that the room mate is a drug addict." Alexx sighed.
"That means that his statement won't hold up in court." Eric said.
"Yes, and we can't really prove that Raquel was the one with the money. Ryan and Natalia checked, hers, Joseph's, Miguel's and two friend's bank records and they haven't been able to prove from where or who Raquel got the money." Alexx sighed.
"Which is a plus for her. A good lawyer would probably say that it indicates that someone else paid Jason." Eric said.
"But then again, Raquel was the only with a grudge against you and Joseph." Alexx said.
"But everybody knows that H and I are gay. So any homo phobic person could have paid Jason." Eric sighed.
"I know it's not looking very good. But at least Nevins will try to get her convicted." Alexx said.
Eric nodded.
"They are going to take another look at Jason's house tomorrow." Alexx said, "Once they had gotten some rest."
TBC…
AN: I decided not to kill anyone… so far…, lol!
Alright for anyone who is confused as to who Jason was paid to shoot, it's like this: He was supposed to shoot Eric and Joseph. But since Eric left for court minutes before Jason arrived at the diner to shoot him. It was Horatio and Joseph who were shot instead.
Please review!!