A/N - I want to thank everyone who has been reviewing, putting me on their favs and alerts. I love just how fast they roll in. I went to bed last night and woke up to ten reveiws and I got another ten in the last three hours that I have been home! So as reward for all you wonderful people out there, I'm posting the third chapter for you. Keep all this up and I'll post chapter four tomorrow! Thanks guys! Oh and before I forget, I had a really bad day today and this helped me cheer up! You are all my prozac!
Chapter Three – Placebo
No one commented when Sara and Grissom arrived at work together, they knew that joking and teasing was not what Sara needed. And Sara appreciated that. First thing she did was give Greg a quick kiss on the cheek. He stood there shocked before a large goofy grin spread over his face.
"You finally realised your true feelings for me huh? I knew you eventually would."
Sara gave him a friendly jab.
"You wish Greggo. That was a thank you for letting me raid your precious coffee supply earlier today. It was a great help."
Greg shrugged modestly.
"No problem. Anything for a friend."
Sara smiled at him again before settling herself in the break room, waiting for Grissom to give them all a low down of what was going to happen this shift. She knew that this case would involve a few of them but doubted that it would take the whole team. If it was a quite night then maybe but otherwise, he would split them.
"So people what do we know so far?"
Nick shrugged.
"No much, really only what people have told us. We didn't find Elizabeth's clothes at the scene, just the wallet that she was found with. We found some blood and some hair which we matched back to our victim. We found some handprints but they were so smudged that the database did not pick them up. We did however find what we hope is the murder weapon."
Catherine leaned forward, taking over from Nick.
"We found a rock a metre or so away from the scene, it had blood, hair, bone and grey matter. We took it into trace to examine this morning and it was a match for Elizabeth. There were no prints on that either unfortunately."
Grissom nodded, waited for a few more minutes before continuing.
"Ok, it's a quite night tonight, so we are all on the Jennings case until otherwise. Warrick I need you to interview so more of these kids that hung out with Elizabeth, try and track down the father of her baby. Also see if you can find out if anyone else had a motive for hurting Elizabeth."
Warrick nodded and took the list that Grissom handed him and was gone, leaving the others to wonder about their placing's.
"Catherine, Greg and Nick, I need you guys at this club where these kids hang out. If there is any trouble, threaten to shut them down for serving minors. Try and find out who was the last to see Elizabeth alive."
Sara sat in mute shock while she watched the trio file out. She was going to be on the club tonight, she was meant to be investigating that side of things.
"I know you wanted the club but the family has requested you for the room check. We have their permission to take anything that we deem relevant. I'll come with, try and keep the mother busy while you do your thing. Ok?"
Sara nodded, a weird feeling to awkwardness coming over her, as she followed Grissom to the truck. She was going to investigate a neighbour's bedroom, which was bad enough. The fact that she didn't know what she would find caused her stomach to twist into a painful knot.
"You think you can handle this?"
Grissom was easing his way into traffic, Sara's silence unnerving him a little. She nodded, and continued to stare out the window. They were back at her apartment in just a few minutes; the yellow crime scene tape still loped around the area where she had found Elizabeth's body. She took her case up the familiar flight of stairs, throwing a glance at her own door before moving past it to Elizabeth's apartment, letting Grissom take the lead. He knocked on the door lightly, passing a quick glance in Sara's direction before turning back to the door as it was swung open. Mary looked tired and she was still wearing her night gown, it hung loose around her like a curtain.
"Oh Sara. Where have you been? I was trying to call you but there was no answer and then I've been knocking on your door but nobody was there. Where have you been?"
The woman demanded, pushing past Grissom and dragging Sara into the apartment by her arm, pushing her into a chair.
"So what have you found out?"
Sara passed a desperate deer-caught-in-headlights look at Grissom, who took Mary by the arm, pulling her back into a standing position, allowing Sara a chance to slip down the hall into Elizabeth's room. It was a black and white striped room, and judging by the crude overlapping of colour in places, it was a DIY job. There was a dresser with a mirror attached on the far side of the room, just under the window which looked out over some rooftops. Not much of a view really. On the other side of the room, closer to the door was the bed pushed up against the wall, a black and white bedspread tangled at the bottom of the bed, bunched with the sheets, pillows strewn all over the bed, and in the middle of it all was a open wardrobe, clothes somewhat falling out of it. Sara put down her case near the door, and snapped on some gloves. She decided to look for a diary first, trying to get herself into the teenage frame of mind; she looked under the mattress before hitting the jackpot, the hard cover book hidden in one of the pillows. Sara settled herself in the centre of the room, crossing her legs and opening the book to the first page.
January 23, 2002
Dear Diary,
Something amazing has happened today. Peter Williams spoke to me. The last time that happened was in primary school when he wanted to borrow my pencil. He has obviously gotten a lot taller since then, and I swear his eyes have gotten bluer. He makes my head spin, and no guy has ever done that. I think I am in love with Peter Williams. Unfortunately, so is his girlfriend, Janice Carmicheal. She's the kind of girl that everyone loves and she is everyone's friend until you cross her and then your name is dirt. Anyway what happened was that Janice was grilling me on talking to Peter and how she didn't want me anywhere near him, and I must have looked upset because Peter came and pulled her aside, told her she was being stupid and then smiled at me and said that we were friends, weren't we? How in the world can you be friends with someone when you speak twice in 10 years? I am not going to analyse, I am just going to enjoy.
I talked to Mel about it and she shrugged it off, saying Peter is an arrogant bastard and he should die. I know that she's my best friend but is that really a way to talk about another human being? Or is it just me being my overly sensitive self? I know that everyone thinks that my brain's make me cold but I'm not overly interested in regular things. They tend to bore me, other then Peter of course. He seems to be the only thing that I cannot get enough of. Mum's calling for dinner. Later
Sara paused from her reading, thinking that she heard footsteps up the hall. She strained her ears for a second, heard Grissom's quiet voice and feeling reassured, she turned to the last entry in the book, hoping that something might help.
September 1st, 2004
Dear Diary,
I'm going out with the gang tonight, Bridget arranged for us to meet outside of Caramel again. It's cheap and they turn the other way if you look older then you actually are. I don't know what to wear but it would properly be the short jean skirt, white boob tube and a studded choker and my knee high boots, Peter said they looked good on me.
I feel guilty Diary, I haven't told anyone about the baby. Mum thinks that I have put on weight, and who was I to deny it? I want to tell Peter tonight, pull him into a quiet corner and tell him the truth. I know that we were never officially together, but maybe the baby could change that. Maybe he will love me as much as I love him.
It's getting late and I have to get ready. Wish me luck.
Sara sighed and closed the book with a short snap and then placed it into an evidence bag from her case. The last entry was dated for the day she died, and there was a little evidence against Peter. Possible their first suspect. It's amazing what you could do when your entire future was in jeopardy. She pushed the bag aside, stood and again surveyed the room, setting to work on the dresser. It was a typical teenage girl dresser, make-up, hairbrushes, tampons, condoms and a poorly hidden pack of cigarettes. Sara continued to rifle through the clothing, pushing aside underwear, feeling certain that she was missing something. That's when she saw it, rolled up and hidden right in the back corner, a thick, tightly rolled tube of tin foil. Sara pulled it out carefully, and then over a piece of paper, started to unroll it. As she had suspected, it was filled with Marijuana, at least $100 dollars worth. This was getting more and more interesting as she went along. Putting the drugs into another evidence bag, she began searching the next draw and then the one after that. In the very last draw she hit the jackpot again, this time in what appeared to be stolen goods. There was a layer upon layer of bracelets, necklaces, earrings and make-up, all still with price tags. Sara left them where they were and moved into the wardrobe, and again found a pile of stolen goods, this time it was clothing, jeans, pants, tops and even a pair of shoes. Sara gave her head a shake, the memory sliding back, allowing her to think clearly again. Elizabeth was reminding Sara of herself more and more. The hidden cigarettes, the stolen clothes, jewellery and the drugs. Sara had felt the pressure to fit in, the same as every other teenager did; only she abandoned it before it made her sour. Sara looked at her watch; she had been there for almost two hours. She had better get moving, her heart going out to Grissom, Sara backed and marked all of the evidence and was just about to leave when something made her stop and turn to survey the room again. She didn't know why but she felt like she had missed something else important. Her eyes were drawn to a piece of paper tucked just under the bed leg, the very end only visible. She put her large pile down on the floor next to her case and pulled the paper gently out from under the bed post.
"Sara!! You about ready?"
Sara carefully put the paper in an evidence bag, labelled it and moved back down the hall, her arms fully loaded with what she had collected from Elizabeth's room.
"All done."
Grissom pulled her case from her hand, taking some of the bags of evidence with him, her arms feeling the relief instantly. Sara finally got a good look around her and realised that Grissom and herself were alone.
"Where's Mary?"
Grissom opened the front door for her, flicking the lock as he went.
"She went to do some shopping. I got the feeling that she didn't want to be here to see you leave with Elizabeth's things. Find anything interesting?"
Sara helped Grissom load the back of the truck, nodding.
"Yep, loads of stuff. And I am a little weirded out, to tell you the truth."
Grissom hopped into the truck, waiting until they were both belted in before continuing the conversation.
"Weirded out? That's a teenage term if I ever heard one."
Sara shook her head, and allowed him a small smile before looking out the window.
"Ok, I'll bite. Why are you so weirded out?"
Sara turned back to Grissom.
"It was her room. I could not believe how much she reminded me of me at that age. I was a rebel without a clue then as well."
Grissom made a noise in his throat, flashing her a look of doubt.
"You? We are talking about the same Sara Sidle right?"
Sara shrugged her shoulders.
"I went through my rebellious stage and because no one was there to curb it, I got a little out of control."
Grissom shook his head again, amazed.
"And the mystery that is Sara Sidle deepens."
Sara shook her head, pushing her forehead against the cool glass of her window.
"There is no mystery."
Grissom said nothing, the rest of the ride back to the office taken in silence. They unloaded the evidence and moved it into one of the spare rooms, spreading what Sara had collected on the large table. Greg chose that moment to walk into the room, his eyes lighting up at the pile of evidence.
"Oh this looks like fun."
Grissom flashed Greg a look, one that made the young man's smile fade.
"What did you find at the club?"
Greg, shrugged, his eyes still roaming the evidence, like a kid at Christmas.
"Nothing much. The last person seen with her was Peter Williams, which was confirmed by over four employees. He is getting interviewed now by Catherine and Nick, Warrick was having a break."
Warrick had come up behind Greg, coffee cup in hand.
"And now I'm back. Do you guy need some help processing?"
Grissom passed a glance over the pile.
"Warrick if you could help Sara, I'm going to see how these interviews going. Greg is going to show me the report for the club, aren't you Greg?"
Greg nodded and moved slowly from the room, his smile now gone completely as he followed Grissom down the hall. Sara shook her head and began unloading the bags closer to her as Warrick pulled on his latex gloves before reaching for the back next to his arm.
"Are you and Grissom ok?"
Sara shook out the diary and began lazily thumbing through it again.
"Why is it whenever someone asks me that question it always sounds as if we are a couple?"
Warrick shrugged, fingering some of the material on a scarf.
"This feels like silk to me. How does a sixteen year old afford silk?"
Sara reached over and showed him the still attached price tag.
"She doesn't. Five finger discount."
Warrick nodded and began writing down the items, prices and the origin.
"So did you ever do anything like this when you were sixteen?"
Sara nodded, putting post-its on the pages of the Diary that seemed relevant.
"Unfortunately yes. I wanted to fit in, so I did whatever the popular kids told me."
Warrick paused for a moment looking at Sara; she could feel his eyes at the top of her head.
"You are exactly like Grissom. He was shocked that I did anything like that. Why is that so surprising?"
Sara pushed the diary aside, deciding that there was nothing else to be gained from it, glancing at Warrick as she waited for an answer.
"You are someone who I know doesn't tend to take crap lying down, you speak your mind regardless of what others may think. I guess it's surprising for someone so strong to be so weak."
Sara shrugged, pulling the roll of marijuana her way.
"It was high school; all the rules are different there."
Warrick was looking at the folded piece of paper that Sara had found under the bed.
"What's this?"
Sara looked up again.
"I don't know. I grabbed it on my way out."
Warrick took it out of the bag, Sara moving to his side to get a closer look as Warrick carefully unfolded it. It was a note written obviously by a typewriter, the letters bold and solid.
Dear Elizabeth,
I have been watching you for a number of months now and I am still breathless from your beauty. I know that you see me everyday, but you don't really see me do you? Do you know how I pine for your touch? Your smell? Your voice? One day the rest of the world will be silenced as we come together, all the beauty in the world dull compared to our love. I know that one day we will be together, one day we will be able to be as we please. One day I will show you how much you mean to me. Until then my beautiful flower, rest within the arms of the sun knowing that I will be near.
Sara felt the excitement leave her body at the lack of signature. This meant more hours of trying to track down who wrote the letter, along with finding the baby's father, as well as Elizabeth's killer. Warrick flattened the paper out carefully.
"I don't know what Elizabeth thought of this, but it would creep me out, knowing that someone was watching me like that."
"It would creep anyone out. I'll take a photo then take it done to trace. Maybe there are prints or something."
Warrick stood back and let her take the pictures before returning the letter back to the bag and handing it over to Sara.
"Hopefully something will come back."
Sara gave him a small smile before heading down the hall towards Trace. This was going to be a long day.
Sara was tired. Overtired to be more precise. The coffee that she held in her hand was doing nothing to keep her awake, and every once and a while her eyes drifted closed and she had a hard time opening them again. Months at work with no days off had left her needing a weekend of sleep and relaxation but now she was working those days, the lack of sleep was starting to hit. The quiet hum of the people around her had heightened to a roar, as it always did when she was tired. Normally quite sounds became almost too loud to bear.
"Sara?"
Grissom's voice drifted over her, and she managed to open her eyes enough to see the faded slurry frame of his body, almost like she was drunk.
"Hmm?"
She felt more then saw Grissom move closer to her, felt him pull her up out of the chair that she had been sitting in. Her legs thankfully supported her to an extent, but her head felt too heavy to hold up so she leaned it on Grissom's shoulder as he helped her move down the hall. She didn't know where he was taking her, didn't really care. Despite the movement, she was almost asleep on Grissom's shoulder when she felt herself being pushed down onto a sofa, too tired to question him, she pulled the blanket he had placed on her around her shoulders and sank gratefully into the sofa, felt his gentle touch as he took off her boots, tucking her feet carefully back under the blanket. She felt his hand rest lightly on the side of her face before sleep took over. There would be time to over analyse later.
Grissom taped the sign that he had just made on the front of his office door, hoping for the sake of Sara that they would heed the 'Do Not Disturb' suggestion. He knew that she would be mad about him letting her sleep, but she was in no state to continue. A month without rest can have a weird effect on the body. He made sure the door was shut properly before continuing down the hall, running into Catherine along the way.
"Where's Sara?"
Grissom keep walking, Catherine breaking into stride beside him.
"Getting some much needed rest in my office. Can I help?"
Catherine handed him a piece of paper.
"The guy that Elizabeth was last seen with? He's the baby's dad. We have him still in the interview room. Also Warrick wanted you to see this note that Sara found in Elizabeth's room. The found two sets of prints, one from Elizabeth and one from Peter Williams. Thought you might want to talk to him."
Grissom gave a short nod making his way directly to the interview room, Catherine following closely. Grissom paused for a moment outside of the special glass, getting a good look at their first and only real suspect. Peter sat straight in the hard plastic chair, his clothes neat and straight, and his blonde hair short and combed neatly.
"Heard of his parents Vivica and Locklin Williams?"
Grissom shook his head; he never paid much attention to that kind of stuff.
"His parent's are the second richest family in Las Vegas. They got all their money from their parents, who got their money from their parents and so on and so forth. I don't ever remember what they got the money for it goes that far back. That sixteen year old in there is set to inherit over $80 billion dollars on his parent's demise. That is a heavy load for a kid to bear."
Grissom said nothing but continued to watch the interaction between the young man and his parent's, who were sitting either side of him. Vivica William's was, for all intents and purposes, a pretty woman, but her visibly hard exterior made her face look thin and worn, the forehead so smooth that Grissom guessed that Botox had a hand in the lack of wrinkles. Her hair sat in a smooth brown curtain down to her shoulders, some of the side strands pulled into a clip at the back of her head. Her clothes were that of a rich person, the royal blue two piece skirt suit topped off with heels and a single sting of pearls, making her look refined and elegant. Her husband wore a smart grey suit, as if trying to look the part of a concerned busy father but failing at the attempt. His hair was the same colour as his son's, also combed back neatly. Neither of them was talking to their son, or each other. They were all staring straight ahead. Grissom moved into the room at that point, leaving Catherine to watch through the glass. Grissom sat down across from them not offering his hand, just a slight nod and his name. Nothing else was needed.
"Peter, I need you to tell me, in your own words, what happened last night."
Peter rolled his eyes at Grissom before letting out a sigh. Vivica Williams looked at Grissom coldly, her husband imitating the look.
"Peter has answered that question over and over. Do we really need to go over this again?"
Grissom matched Vivica's cold look with his own, pouring all the contempt he had for the woman into his eyes.
"Yes we do. So Peter if you will, enlighten me of the events."
Peter looked at Grissom, his blue eyes cold and uncaring. Bored even.
"I went to the club with the normal group of people. I meet up with Elizabeth, who told me she was pregnant and that it was my baby. After telling her that she was being stupid and that it was not my baby, I escorted her outside, called a taxi and then went back in. The end."
Peter's voice was sarcastic and cold, bored and even. There was not even a hint of sadness or remorse over Elizabeth's death. The idea that he may have written the letter that he held in his hand was almost ridiculous, but his prints were all over it, which meant at the very least he had read it.
"Have you ever seen this before?"
Grissom pushed the paper over the table, making sure the writing was facing the trio. He allowed them ample time to read the note before asking again.
"Have you seen it before?"
Peter shook his head, barely giving the paper a second's glance.
"Are you sure? Because we found your fingerprints all over it."
Peter's forehead crinkled as a frown took over his face.
"I never saw this not before in my life."
Grissom sat back in his seat and crossed his arms.
"So why then are your prints on the paper?"
Peter shrugged. Grissom decided for the shock treatment.
"Do you remember getting a swab taken when you first came in?"
Peter nodded lazily, his hair staying in the exact position it was at to begin with.
"Elizabeth was right. You were the baby's father. We matched the DNA."
Peter said nothing, his eyes widened, his mouth hung open in shock. His parents were silent as well, their faces mirroring their son's.
"Fortunately for you, you were at the club at the time of the murder, so you are not a suspect. But this does not mean you are off the hook. We will be checking you out Peter. Oh and by the way you were going to have a daughter."
Without another word, Grissom stood and left the room, closing the door behind him. He met Catherine at the glass and pressed a button below it, allowing them to hear what was going on in the room. Vivica moved first, her rigid stance now moving into an angrier mode.
"You stupid boy, why would you sleep with that kind of trash?"
Grissom felt Catherine wince beside him and he was glad that Sara was sleeping. Speaking disrespectfully about the dead was one thing, but having it happen to someone you knew was another entirely.
Peter was pacing the room slightly, his hands running through his hair.
"I only slept with her a couple of times Mother, and we used protection."
Vivica grabbed her son's shoulders.
"It doesn't always work now does it? That is how we got you!"
Peter stood shocked looking at his mother, exchanged a sad glance with his father who said nothing, before he pulled away and walked out the door, rushing past Catherine and Grissom before turning a corner and disappearing from their eye sight.
"He's just a child Vivica, you can't expect him to be perfect all the time."
Locklin Williams voice sounded tired and strained, as if he had had this conversation a few too many times with his wife. His wife turned to him, her voice cold and riddled with contempt.
"He is our son, a Williams, and unlike you, he needs to be perfect. He needs to be everything you're not."
Lachlan opened his mouth but closed it just as quickly. Grissom saw the look of defeat on the man's face and knew one thing for certain. Vivica Williams was the driving force of this family and was not someone to be messed with. Now Grissom wanted to know if she could kill someone for her son and for the sake of their family.
Sara drifted into consciousness gradually. She kept her eyes closed as she wriggled her toes and moved her hands. After she was fully awake, she was aware of a scratching noise near the other side of the room, and realising that it was pencil on paper, she gathered that Grissom was back at his desk working.
"How long have you been in here?"
She heard Grissom put down his pencil, shuffle some papers and sit back further in his seat; it had a weird way of creaking when he did that.
"Long enough to know that you sing in your sleep."
Sara pulled the blanket over her head, groaning slightly. She had discovered this new habit of hers when she had taped something on her CD player several weeks ago. She could be heard singing in the back round to the song that she had heard last. And she had been doing it ever since.
"You are fortunate enough to be blessed with a good voice, so don't be too embarrassed I enjoyed the free concert."
Sara sat up and took a proper look around her, her eyes widening when she saw the clock.
"You let me sleep for four hours?! Grissom why did you let me sleep? I wanted to talk to some of those kids."
Grissom shook his head, watching as Sara pulled her boots back on, the last clouds of sleep now gone from her brain. She had been sleeping while Elizabeth's killer was still roaming free, talk about guilt trip. Sara pulled her hair back in a ponytail, deciding to leave the sleep induced tangles for later, straightened her clothes and approached Grissom's desk, sitting across from him.
"So what did you get from the kids anyway?"
Grissom pushed the file toward Sara.
"Nothing much, just the same stuff about how they all saw Elizabeth leave with Peter. I showed Peter the letter."
Sara's head popped up.
"And?"
"Said he never saw the letter in his life."
Sara shook her head, doubt and suspicion flashing over her pretty face.
"Yeah right. How many times are criminals going to feed us that line?"
Grissom shrugged.
"I guess until it works. He denied being the father too but when presented with the DNA evidence he caved. He had slept with Elizabeth a few times but that was it. Apparently there was no proper relationship there. Just sex."
Sara shook her head a look of sadness coming into her eyes.
"Why did she waste her life with that kind of guy? And again I feel crept out. That's what I did as well. Wasted my time with some low life who would never give me the time of day outside of the bedroom."
Sara felt immense sadness for Elizabeth and her situation. Sara felt even more sadness when she realised that that could have just as easily been her. She heard Grissom shift in his chair and felt his hand clasp hers as he knelt beside her chair.
"You can't regret another person's decision. She made her mistakes"
Sara sighed slightly before pining Grissom in her gaze.
"Do you regret your first time?"
Grissom shook his head before removing his hand and moving back to his seat, needing the room to breathe. Being that close to Sara always seemed to suck the air right out of him.
"I lost it too my high school girlfriend. We were together for two years before she moved overseas. I was lucky I lost it to someone I loved."
Sara readjusted herself on her seat; fascinated by the information that Grissom was giving so willingly.
"So have you ever done anything illegal?"
Grissom offered her a small smile before nodding.
"Yeah afraid so. I was caught drinking with some friends in the local park. I was fourteen and I thought my mother would kill me. She ignored me for days after that. Pretty easy to do when you're deaf. Switch off I mean"
Sara gave him a small smile, watching as his long tapered fingers fiddled with the pencil that he had been writing with earlier.
"I never got done for illegal drinking. Mind you I never got caught. I was more wagging school, smoking and drugs."
Grissom leaned forward slightly, his interest plain on his face.
"So what made you turn the corner?"
"Saw to many kids like me get pregnant and ruin their lives. I knew I didn't want to be like that. I wanted to live to my potential, be a good example despite where I come from."
Grissom gave Sara a broad grin.
"I have to admire that."
Sara gave one back and silence lapsed again as they waited for the others to get back from the club.
When Catherine, Warrick and Nick walked into the room, they found Sara and Grissom pouring over notes together, both so deep in thought that it took Warrick clearing his throat before either looked up.
"Ah so they have returned. What did you find out?"
Warrick waved the brown evidence bag he had in his hand within their eyesight.
"We managed to get some surveillance tapes but not much else. The Manager was very helpful once we threatened to close him down. He does remember Elizabeth coming in that night along with many others. He said he saw her leave with another regular, Peter Williams as he said. However, the manager talked to the bouncer, and Peter never called Elizabeth a cab. They went just around the corner to the dark ally along the side of the club and she was never seen again, until Sara found her anyway."
Sara glanced at Grissom, wanting an explanation. Grissom filled her in quietly till she was up to play with the Williams interview. Grissom watched Sara's pretty eyes narrow as the words sunk in.
"Do you think the mother had anything to do with this? Sound's like she disapproved of Elizabeth."
Grissom shrugged.
"I don't like her but the passion which she feels for her son could mean anything. She might be willing to kill but to be honest I could never picture a woman like that doing it alone. I think she would be too afraid of breaking a nail."
Catherine smiled slightly before turning her eyes to Sara.
"How are you holding up?"
Sara shrugged, her shoulders heavy.
"Yeah I'm ok. It's just hard to know that she's gone. Harder still that her mother is trying to hunt me down."
Catherine didn't look surprised.
"Yeah I can't say that I'm surprised. You are the only connection she has to this case. So are you still at home?"
Sara glanced quickly at Grissom, and before she could stop herself, a lie slipped all too easily off of her tongue.
"Nah just staying with a good friend I recently reconnected with. It's nice and quite."
Catherine pointed a glance Grissom's way, obviously trying to gage his reaction to a mention of an old friend. Seeing nothing she turned back to the case at hand.
"So I'm going to guess that we need to press hard on the William's family then since they are our only lead then."
Grissom thought for a second before putting his plan into action.
"I want to talk to the father alone. If any of them will crack, it will be him first. Catherine if you want to take the mother, and Nick and Warrick can take Peter."
Sara waited for the other's to leave before turning her eyes on Grissom.
"What about me? Don't cut me out completely please."
Grissom handed her Elizabeth's diary then a pad and a pen.
"I want you to read through Elizabeth's diary, take notes on anything that might be important. Start from the first entry right to the last."
Sara gave a sigh and sat heavily back into her seat. Grissom gathered his coat and cell phone before turning to her again.
"I'm letting you read it out of respect. I know what she meant to you and it didn't feel right to let anyone else do it. This is just as important as interviewing any of the family. I need you to tell me what was going on in this girl's head."
Sara stood to move out of his office but Grissom's hand on her arm stopped her.
"Stay in here. It's a lot more quite then anywhere else. You won't be disturbed."
Sara nodded and moved so that she was now sitting behind the desk in Grissom's chair, swinging herself lazily, giving Grissom a small smile. She watched him leave before she opened the diary again. She wanted to be completely alone before she delved into the teenage mind. She really didn't want him to see her breakdown again. It was an unsettling reoccurrence. She opened the diary closer to the end of Elizabeth's life.
July 12th, 2005
I'm late for my period. I am freaking out so much right now. I wanted to do so well in school and make mom and dad proud of me and now I might shatter that dream. If I am pregnant, what will I do? Keep it, adopt it out or have an abortion? There are so many families out there that would give the baby a great home. I should stop thinking like this. I'm not pregnant. It's not possible.
Sara made a quick note of the date and then moved even further back in the diary. She wanted to know what had happened with Peter William's.
June 15th, 2005
Dear Diary,
I am no longer a virgin!!!! AHHH! I want to tell everyone so that they all don't think of me as such a prude. I never ever thought that I would end up losing it to Peter though. I mean he's Peter. My ultimate everything. Ok I'm rushing ahead of myself; I'll start from the beginning.
I went to Peter's tonight with Janice and Brooke and we made a slight detour and picked up Frank and Oscar, two of Peter's jock friends. We were there for a gathering. Not a party but a gathering. My parent's brought that a lot better then they would a party. There were more people there then I expected but that's ok, I don't mind crowds. I had some shots with Brooke before she hooked up with Oscar and moved into one of the spare rooms. I ended up sitting in the corner by myself watching Peter. He was having a fit with Janice, who kept pointing at me. I have no idea why but she did. Janice left soon after and Peter came to sit next to me. I am always going to remember how he smelt and what he was wearing tonight. It is burnt onto my soul, I swear. He was wearing a pair of blue jeans that showed off his butt and clung to his thighs, the AC/DC t-shirt giving him a rebel air. I love it when he looks like a rebel. He smelt of sunshine. I know that sounds ridiculous but I am so certain that that is what it smells like. Before Kitty died, when she was laying out on the balcony in the sun you could press your nose to her belly and smell the sun. That's what Peter smelt like only mixed with beer. He didn't say anything just started to kiss me. It was amazing Diary, I swear I was flying! His lips were so soft and gentle. The next thing I knew we were in on of the spare rooms and I'm taking his top off. It was over before it really began. He rolled off me and left the room all the while tugging his shirt on. Brooke said that the first time would hurt but I didn't feel anything. I HAD SEX WITH PETER WILLIAM"S!!!!!!!! I wonder if this means we're together now? I mean surely this night that we just had together means something to him right? Why would he do it otherwise?
Sara gave a little sigh and shook her head, her heart going out again to the girl. Sara knew the confusion that she was going through over Peter, she herself had been there and done it all too many times for her own comfort. Sara knew how hard it would have been for the girl to fit in with any crowd, let alone the popular one even with her smarts. Sara thought it over for a few seconds before picking up her phone and dialling. There was someone she needed to see.
Sara arrived at Melissa's house a little after nine, and was welcomed into the same dishevelled house that they had seen when they had first tracked her down.
"So where's your Mom?"
Melissa put her slim hands into a pair of black jeans that were far too big for her, the waist band slipping down every time she moved her slim frame.
"Working her last job for the night at the local Here and There Café. She won't be home until after eleven. Why is it you wanted to talk to me?"
Sara made herself comfortable on the cleanest looking sofa, one side which was piled with washing.
"I just wanted to know a little more about Elizabeth. You are her best friend so I thought that you would be a good place to start."
Melissa shrugged sitting next to Sara.
"What do you want to know?"
Sara pulled out her notebook and her pen.
"What about who she hung out with at school?"
Melissa laughed bitterly.
"You mean before or after the popular crowd paid a little attention?"
Sara offered a sympathetic smile.
"How about before. What was a typical day like for her?"
Melissa shrugged as she pushed her hair behind her ears.
"Nothing great or exciting really. Went to school, we studied together every afternoon and then she would go home. She was surprisingly boring."
Sara studied the girl.
"Did she get hassled about it, being boring I mean?"
Melissa gave Sara a doubtful look. Honestly Miss Sidle there is nothing much to tell you. I don't know the Elizabeth that died; she had become somebody else long before she was murdered."
Sara nodded, trying to understand what Melissa was saying. This trip had been somewhat of a waste. She needed to talk to one of those kids she had hung out with just before she died. They were the key.