7th July
"So our key witness is dead?" Eric asked, "Shit."
"Yeah, but we still have Miguel and the neighbor." Frank said.
"Yeah, but Derek was the one who heard pieces of a conversation that Jason Ash had with someone." Natalia said, "Pieces that made it sound like he was hired to do something."
"Such as shooting someone." Frank said, "Maybe Nevins can still use his written testiomony in court."
"Let' hope so." Horatio said.
Alexx arrived at the scene and started checking the body out.
"Well, I can tell you right now that COD is a gunshot wound to the head." Alexx said, "He doesn't seem to have any other injuries."
"TOD?" Horatio asked.
"Four hours ago."
"He was a drug addict, right?" Eric asked.
"Oh yeah, he has small puncture wounds in his arm. Like from a needle." Alexx said.
"So he probably came here to buy drugs. And things went bad for some reason." Horatio said.
"So you don't think that is something that Raquel could be a part of?" Frank asked.
"No, I don't." Horatio said, "Alexx, call me as soon as you're done with the autopsy."
"Will do."
"Eric and Natalia, process please." Horatio said, "Frank, try to fnd out who Derek met here, ask the people that live in this alley."
"What will you do?" Natalia asked.
"I will go see Nevins."
--
After two hours Eric and Natalia had found a gun in a garbage can. They had found several shoeprints on the ground and a bag of heroin. The shoeprints were a waste of time. So many people walked in the alley everyday, and none of the prints was odd in any way.
Hopefully Eric and Natalia would find a print on the bag of heroin and the gun.
Frank had asked several other drug addicts in the alley if they new anything about the murder. No one had seen anything that could give them an ID of the killer.
"All they saw was a tall man with black clothes and white shoes. He and Alperton fought about something, most likely drugs, and Derek got pissed. That's when the other man shot him and tossed the gun in the garbage can." Frank said to Horatio and Rebecka Nevins.
"They didn't see his face?" Horatio asked.
"A little bit. He had blond hair and small scar under his left eye." Frank said.
"Could they recognize him if they saw him again? Nevins asked.
"Yeah, probably. But they said that there was no way they'd testify in court." Frank said.
"Alright. How bad is this for the case against Raquel?" Horatio asked.
"It doesn't change much. Derek could never actually put Raquel in Ash's house. Only the shoeprints can. And he was a drug addict, therefore not such a reliable witness in court. Now I have to convince the jury that his testimony is reliable. We only have it written down on paper." Nevins said, "He was supossed to come in and record it for me today."
"It's all about what the jury thinks." Frank said, "It always is."
"Yes, and Raquel has hired a very good lawyer, Max Dawson." Nevins said, "He will do anything to make the neighbor and Miguel appear as bad witnesses. And this murder of Derek only makes it better for him."
"So we're screwed." Frank sighed.
"No, Tripp. But I told you before how difficult this will be." Nevins said, "I will do anything I can."
"Max Dawson won't win this case easyily." Horatio said.
-I-
"Ryan I know that we're on vacation and that we should just rest. But could you please hurry up a little bit?" Calleigh asked.
"What's the rush? We got all day." Ryan said. He was freshing up in the bathroom in their hotell room.
"No, it's eleven am allready. And we have to go see the sharks and the corals and then we're going to see a show in the hotell this evening." Calleigh said.
"What?! Sharks?"
"Ryan, I told you that we would take a little boatrip out on the sea to see sharks." Calleigh said.
"We can't do that. What if we get eaten?" Ryan asked.
"We will be with profesionals. We will only be in a shark cage dummy. The guys that are taking us out on this trip knows exactly what they're doing." Calleigh smiled.
"So, we are going to start the day with sharks and then swim in corals, and then end the day with a show?" Ryan asked.
Calleigh nodded.
"You're dangerous Calleigh."
"No, I'm adventurous." Calleigh smiled, "Look Ryan, nothing will happen."
"What if it comes a shark when we dive around the corals?" He asked.
"It won't. We're with profensionals then too and they said that sharks don't swim in that area." Calleigh said, "And the show tonight won't kill you. It's just three guys preforming magic tricks."
"Well, if I still die today. I wan't you to know that I love you." Ryan smiled.
"Aw, Ryan, I love you too."
--
Just as Calleigh had said. She and Ryan were in the hands of profesional shark divers. Three guys that knew everything there was to know about sharks.
They had a big boat with a big shark cage. They offered tourists the change to get really close to sharks and then swim around corals later. They had never had one single accident. Though Ryan was still nervous. Callegh was excited, she loved to do risky things, and she loved dragging the very scared Ryan along with her.
"Alright, do you remember what we taught you about diving?" One of the profesionals named Mark asked.
Caleligh and Ryan nodded. They were dressed in full diving gear. And would soon go into the water with Mark and another guy named Peter. The third guy Benny would stay on the boat.
"There is nothing to worry about." Mark said, "We'll keep you safe."
Peter was the first person to get inside the cage. Then he and Mark helped Calleigh get in. Then Ryan and finally Mark.
Benny lowered the cage down. Calleigh was so excited that she felt like screaming. Ryan had started to calm down a bit, but that was because there were no sharks around them. Yet.
Mark pointed at something big and black moving towards them. It got closer and closer.
When it was really close Calleigh noticed that it was a great white.
Ryan was pale and tried to keep his breathing under control. He had to admit that it was a very special experience, but he was still scared as hell.
Calleigh smiled at him as she was taking pictures with a water proof camera.
The shark was now right next to the cage. It kept circling around it. Checking it out.
Then it just swam away.
The ocean was pretty empty for almost three minutes, before three sharks showed up. Calleigh had no idea what kind of sharks they were. But they were all swimming very close to the cage.
Ryan looked at the sharks mouths. All those teeth!
He would certainly keep away from deep waters after this. Calleigh gave him a hug. He wasn't nervous any more. Just catious. While Calleigh looked like she was ready to just jump out of the cage and swim with the sharks forever.
--
After Ryan and Calleigh had seen the sharks. Mark, Benny and Peter took them to another place. It was a coral reef, close to some cliffs.
It wasn't very deep and there were certainly no sharks there.
This time Mark stayed on the boat. While Benny and Peter swum in the water with Calleigh and Ryan.
They didn't follow them around, just made sure that they could see them at all times.
It was beautiful! So many different colors and fish everywhere.
Calleigh took many pictures and even touched the fish. Ryan was completely mesmerized by everything.
They would never forget this honeymoon!
-I-
"You know who shot Derek?" Horatio asked Eric and Natalia.
"Yes we do." Eric said, "We found a set of fingerprints on the gun. Belonging to Marcus Weather."
"And on the bag of heroin?" Horatio asked.
"Fingerprints belong Derek Alperton and Marcus Weather." Natalia said.
"Alright, all we need to do know is to arrest Marcus." Horatio said.
It didn't take long to find Marcus Weather. The police found him in a park selling drugs to a woman. H eas brought in to the station for interrogation.
"Mr Weather." Horatio said, "Looks like you're getting a new place to stay for a while. Jail."
"I haven't done anything." Marcus said.
"You've sold drugs." Frank said, "And you shot Derek Alperton."
"Who?"
"Derek Alperton. You shot him this morning." Horatio said.
"You got anything to prove that?" Marcus said.
"Your fingerprints on a bag of heroin and the gun that was used to kill Mr Alperton." Frank said, "I'd say that pretty much proves it all."
"Planted." Marcus said, "It's planted."
"That's not what I think." Horatio said, "I think that you were about to sell heroin to Derek. But he wanted more. You didn't have more, so he treathened to call the police. You shot him."
Marcus laughed.
"That's a really funny story. But I wouldn't do something like that." He said.
"So your fingerprints just flew on to the gun?" Frank asked.
"Something like that." Marcus smirked.
"We have two witnesses saying that they saw a man with black clothes, white shoes, blond hair and a scar under his left eyes, fighting with Derek and shooting him." Horatio said.
"Sound familiar?" Frank asked.
"I want a deal." Marcus said.
"A deal?" Frank asked, "What do you know that could be so important fo us?"
"I know how Jason Ash got ten thousand dollars."
TBC...
AN: Please review!