Chapter 6

Friday October 1st, 2004
4:59 p.m.
Convenience Store Parking Lot

"I really didn't see Alicia all that much. Um, I don't get to. Her life sucks, so sometimes she would just, you know, play hooky and spend the day with me," April Perez explained as Brass interviewed her.

"After girls' day out, you, uh, stopped here for a snack," Brass asked before turning around at the sounds of sobbing.

As he watched, a man walked up and hugged Sybil, April's mother. "Is that your father?"

"Yeah. Um...I was…just went in, and...you know, to get something while she changed back into her uniform," April explained about their stop

"In the car?" Brass asked raising an eyebrow

"It's not that big of a deal. It's like, you know, the skirt over the jeans, and back to school before Mom knows anything,"

"So what did he look like? What kind of car did he drive?"

"A black guy, uh...He had a beard and he had a crappy black Buick. But, um...I don't know, maybe it was blue. I don't really..." April trailed off unsure

"No, that's...that's good."

"Okay," she replied relieved

"You did good. That's good. Thank you," Brass assured her

"Okay."

Across the lot Grissom leant forward looking into April's red car through the window. He snapped a photo as Carlos and Sybil Perez walked up to him.

"The cops won't tell us. What are the chances of finding our daughter?" Carlos asked as Grissom looked up at them.

"Well, we're doing everything we can."

"That's what everyone keeps saying. No one will tell us anything," Carlos argued as Grissom noticed something about Mrs. Perez

"Did you injure yourself, Mrs. Perez?" he asked, on the edge of her blouse is a large bloodstain.

"Oh, a nosebleed," Sybil shrugged it off

"That's a lot of blood. I'm going to need to take your shirt," Grissom argued lightly

"Why?" Carlos asked confused

"If you like, I can have someone follow you home so that you can change."

"You think we had something to do with it?" Sybil demanded angrily. "Our daughter is missing. She's out there somewhere alone and scared. What are you doing about that?"

"I'm just collecting evidence," Grissom tried to calm her down

"Fine. Here!" she spoke as she removed her shirt and threw it at Grissom. "Take it! Go find her!"

Friday October 1st, 2004
5:10 p.m.
Convenience Store Parking Lot

Warrick and Nick were going through April's red car. "How'd you shoot, man?" Warrick asked

"Rusty. They say I have a flinch."

"You and I need to go practice some, huh?"

"Yeah, when do we have time to do that?" Nick countered as he dusted for prints. "If we're not processing a scene or working evidence, we're in court."

"Well, when they take your piece, you'll make time."

"This girl seemed a little old to be lured by a lost puppy. So how'd this guy pull this off in a lot this public?" Nick asked

"Easy. With a map and a smile," Warrick answered as he looked over to the front of the convenience store and watched as Catherine measured the distance. "Rolls up…'Hey, little girl, I'm lost. You from around here?'" he continued as Nick nodded. "She gets close enough he pulls her out of her sister's car, into his car...Bam, she's done."

"I bet he had a weapon. Threatened her, so he could drive," Nick added

Catherine continues to measure the distance into the parking lot toward the car, having heard their conversation, at least the end. "Probably used his fists. Bastard had to have hit her."

The two men frowned slightly realizing she probably was speaking the truth as her phone rang. Catherine answered it and the men paid slight attention to her conversation as Grissom exited the convenience store and made his way towards the car.

"Hello," Catherine began. "Who's calling? Yes. Uh, yes. Speaking," she continued as Grissom headed towards Nick.

"Nick, you failed firearms qualification. You can't be here."

"Oh, yeah. Well, I'm taking it again day after tomorrow, so I figured I could work."

"Not in the field."

"You're serious?" Nick asked incredulous

"You're in violation just carrying the weapon," Grissom reminded him.

"She's what? Uh - uhm..." Catherine's voice drew Warrick's attention as Nick turned to look at him. He in turn looked away to concentrate on Catherine.

"Copy that. I'll be in the lab," Nick sighed

"Uh, Nick, let me catch a lift with you," Catherine began as she hung up her phone before turning to Grissom. "There's something going on with Lindsay," she explained before following Nick back to his car.

Friday October 1st, 2004
5:38 p.m.
LVPD Waiting Room

Catherine walked up to the Officer watching Lindsay. "I'm Catherine Willows. What's the trouble?"

"With the Amber Alert, we've been keeping an eye out. Found your daughter up on Boulder Highway trying to hitch a ride downtown," he explained as Catherine glared at Lindsay who rolled her eyes at her mom. "Now, kids this age, they need a firm hand at home, and..."

"Thank you, Officer," Catherine interrupted not wanting to hear his speech. "I appreciate everything you've done. Let's go," she continued before leading Lindsey away to an empty break room where they both sat down.

"Okay, what or who is on Fremont Street that you would risk your life to get to? Mouthing off to teachers, slipping grades and now hitchhiking. I mean, what is next, Lindsay?"

"Stripping," Lindsey muttered.

"What did you just say?" Catherine asked before releasing an exasperated chuckle. "Okay, no phone, no friends, no nothing."

"For how long?"

"A month."

"Whatever," Lindsey rolled her eyes before standing up.

"Hey, you want to make it two?"

"Dad always said you were a drama queen."

"Well, what do you expect, Lindsay, since he was always high," Catherine countered

"I'd take Dad high over you any day! Nana's coming to pick me up. I'll be out front," Lindsey snapped as she grabbed her backpack and left the room.

Friday October 1st, 2004
6:08 p.m.
CSI Lab

Greg and Mia Dickerson, the new DNA Technician, walked into the lab. Warrick was sitting at the table with an array of items on it.

"You paged," Greg spoke.

Warrick didn't look up, "Yeah," he began pointing to the items on the table "What's missing?"

Greg took a moment and looked at the various schoolbooks and bags on the table. "I give up."

"Her sister said the victim changed back into her school uniform in the car," Warrick explained.

"So? Where are the clothes she changed out of?" Mia pointed out. At the sound of a new voice, Warrick finally looked up.

"Hello."

"Mia Dickerson, Warrick Brown." Greg introduced.

"Welcome," Warrick continued.

"Look, I already know you have a running bet with another CSI over how long the new hire lasts, so let's skip it. You got something for DNA?" Mia jumped right in.

Warrick grabbed the evidence bag and tossed it toward her. "The mother's bloody t-shirt.

"Exemplar?"

"It's on its way."

"Thank you," Mia replied before leaving the room. Warrick watched her go impressed as Greg turned and looked at him with a smile.

"Just hedging my bets."

"How so?" Warrick asked looking at the other man.

"Well, I need field experience, but before I get that, I need to find a replacement. So far, I'm oh-for-one. Plus, she's hot and thinks you're a tool, so I'm way ahead," Greg explained as he turned and left, Warrick chuckling behind him

Friday October 1st, 2004
6:02 p.m.
Perez Residence
Alicia's Bedroom

Jessica sat at Alicia's desk looking at the contents on her computer. Grissom examined the rest of the room for evidence.

"There's nothing suspicious on the server. Only hits are music downloads. Wait a minute…an organ transplant site. For kidneys, heart, lungs and liver," Jessica explained surprised.

"What is that? Homework research?"

"Maybe. These are pretty detailed biochem and immunosuppressant citations. It's a little over a seventh grader's head, don't you think?"

"I don't know. I bet you were a pretty smart seventh grader," he teased softly. He had no doubt that Sara had been one, and seeing as the two were friends when Jessica was in seventh grade...he could just picture them studying things far beyond her curriculum.

Jessica couldn't help but smile. Grissom picked up a purple and blue plastic backpack and looked at it as Jessica opened Alicia's notebook where she found doodling of "Mrs. Jimmy Jones", "Mrs. Alicia Jones", "Love Jimmy", red hearts and flowers. "She has a serious crush on a boy named Jimmy Jones."

Grissom looked around and found "I Hate Mom & Dad" written on the edge of the linens. "Jessica," he began as Jess turned towards him. "I hate Mom & Dad."

"Who doesn't once in a while?" Grissom and Jessica looked up to find an older boy in the doorway. "Daniel Perez. And you are?"

"Gil Grissom, Jessica Harrison, Las Vegas Crime Lab," Grissom replied.

"I guess that's why you're pawing through my sister's private stuff."

"It's going to help us find her. Do you know a Jimmy Jones?" Jessica asked

"Yeah, a boy from school. She liked him."

"What's your sister like? Personable, friendly, outgoing, trusting, maybe?" Grissom asked after a moment.

"She's a giver, from the day she was born," Daniel replied as he his nose started to bleed.

"Uh, Daniel...you're bleeding," Grissom began as he pointed to his own nose.

"I'm sorry," Daniel sighed as he used his bloodstained tissue to wipe his nose. "You want to know my sister, you should check her diary under the mattress," he continued before turning and leaving. Jessica stepped forward and checked under the mattress, and found the diary.

Opening the book, Grissom leaned sideways to look as she began to read. "'Last night I didn't sleep very good. I kept thinking about the surgery.' I guess we know why she was doing transplant research."

Friday October 1st, 2004
3:45 p.m.
LVPD Interview Room

Brass and Grissom interviewed Marlon Waylord. "So here's the deal; when you go up, I won't yell short eyes first. How's that sound?"

"Sounds like a really good deal. You know, if I was, um, guilty."

"The inmates didn't treat you too gentle the last time, did they?" Brass asked as Marlon turned and glared at Brass.

"You know they didn't."

"So tell me what you did with Alicia," Brass pressed

"Who?"

Brass put a photo on the table. "She's been all over the news, non-stop. Is that why you shaved?" Grissom asked

Marlon licked his finger and touched the photo, alongside Alicia's face. "Oh, come on. Don't make me smack you," Brass growled as Marlon looked up at Grissom.

"Her friend tells us that you were always looking at her. You went out in the morning and watched them go to school," Grissom spoke as he showed the phone photos to Marlon.

"She's sweet, very sweet, but, fellas...I wasn't looking at her. You all should check my file," Marlon countered

"No, I did. I know that your recent preference is for little boys, but, uh, your first time was with a female cousin. Let me read what you said. 'I couldn't help myself 'cause she was acting so hot. It was her fault; she was really hot'," Brass tossed the file on the table in front of Marlon.

"How does a six-year-old act hot?" Grissom asked as Brass' phone beeped. Brass checked it.

"Listen...I'm, uh...I'm sick. You know, I got this-this this illness, which...look, I don't want to go back to prison. That's why I'm being so compliant. Now, yo, I don't work near no little kids. I stay a hundred yards from the school grounds. Man, I don't even go to the park."

"It's not a disease. It's a compulsion," Grissom pointed out the flaw in Marlon's 'defense'.

"I stay away from youth organizations, after-school programs, churches..."

"We found a pair of boy's underwear in your bedroom. Explain that," Grissom countered

"I look at the photos. I look at the photos and I have the briefs for, um...release."

"So you fantasize, and eventually, the fantasy's not enough and you relapse," Grissom summarized

"Hey, they're mine. I bought the underwear!"

"Well, if that's true, then you were in a store where little children were shopping with their mothers," Grissom pointed out once more, fighting the urge to smirk. The man was clueless.

"And what would you have me do, huh, man? What? I mean, I even thought about chemical castration," Marlon argued

"Medroxyprogesterone is inconclusive. It renders the subject incapable of erection, but it doesn't remove the drive. You would still be capable of sexual assault using other objects."

"Listen...um, I haven't done anything, uh, illegal, so you can't hold me in here forever. Oh, is that killing look in your eyes a compulsion, Mr. Grissom?" Marlon countered to Grissom's answer.

Friday October 1st, 2004
4:10 p.m.
CSI Lab

Warrick walked into the lab as Mia looked up at him. "What's up?"

"The seminal fluid on the boy's underwear matches your pedophile."

"Epithelials?"

Mia started to answer until Greg interrupted. "His. And only his."

"That confirms his story that the briefs were never worn. Hair?" asked Warrick.

"Synthetic. Probably from a wig," Greg interrupted once more

"Great. That means we have to let the bastard go. It's only a matter of time before he snatches up another kid," Warrick growled as he turned to leave, until Mia stopped him.

"You got any friends in uniform?"

"Yeah, but they can't watch him indefinitely."

"Okay, look. Megan's law has holes. Police aren't required to notify a community about a predator. So flood his block with flyers detailing his crimes. Trust me, the neighbors won't let him out of their sight."

"Or they'll kill him," Warrick agreed as his pager beeped. Looking down he checked it before sighing. "They found Alicia Perez."

Friday October 1st, 2004
4:58 p.m.
Woods outside Las Vegas

Alicia Perez was on the ground wrapped in a blood stained blanket, and her face was covered. Brass stood over the body as Grissom, Catherine, and Warrick walked towards the scene.

"A tour helicopter spotted her around 4:00 P.M." Brass explained as the three set their kits down.

"How many people have walked through the crime scene?"

"Just the responding officers, lug soles, sizes 10 and 11," Brass answered in response to Grissom's question.

"We're going to need some time here, Jim," commented Grissom.

Jim sighed heavily "Yeah, well, there's no rush now," he answered as Warrick knelt down next to the body.

"She's wrapped up pretty tight."

"Protecting her against insects and carrion, maybe," Grissom suggested

Catherine opened the blanket up and away from Alicia's face. "Somebody, uh, wanted her intact. Well, her face is covered, that means remorse, guilt...somebody cared," she began before noticing her blouse. "She's been re-dressed," she continued as she checked under Alicia's skirt. "Her panties are missing."

"All right. 360-degree grid search. Sometimes rapists like to relive the event. He may have wanted to watch her. So keep the body in view. We're looking for shoe prints, sperm clusters...anything else you can find," Grissom instructed as David walked up to the scene. The group split up to search as David started working.

"90 degrees? Given the timeline, it should be higher. That-that can't be right," David spoke perplexed.

"Well, today's temp, last night's weather...may have had something to do with it," Grissom suggested.

Saturday October 2nd, 2004
6:07 a.m.
CSI Forensic Autopsy

"No signs of sexual assault," David began as he and Grissom went over Alicia's body.

"No defensive wounds. No wounds of any kind," Grissom continued after checking her hands.

"Were you expecting some?" David asked as Grissom took a photo.

"Well, she was wrapped in a bloody blanket. Since there's no trauma, maybe the blood belongs to her killer," Grissom replied. "Roll her." On Alicia's back there are two long parallel bruising marks. Grissom's voice softened in surprise. "Look at those marks. There was nothing underneath her at the crime scene that, uh, would've made those."

"Well, maybe she was moved. Trunk of car? Tire iron?" David suggested as Grissom took another picture

"Yeah, but there's, uh, two impressions, and they're too long to be a lug wrench." Grissom raised the camera to take another picture. He looked down at the body through the camera lens. After a long moment, he put the camera down without taking the photo. He stared at the body of the dead child. Something about it just affected him. It would have effected Sara too...he knew that.

Saturday October 2nd, 2004
6:39a.m.
CSI Hallway

After leaving the Morgue Grissom had found the first place to sit, taking his glasses off before resting his forehead against the hand that held his glasses.

"Have you been to bed?" Catherine asked as she walked up to him.

"Yes," he replied as he looked up to her. He had...for about ten minutes.

"Did you sleep?" she asked as she sat next to him. "Me neither," she continued after he remained silent. "She was the same age as Lindsay. She was trying to hitchhike."

"Where was she going?"

"Fremont Street."

"Was she buying drugs?"

"No!" Catherine began appalled. "She's twelve." she continued before sighing. "She's...just so angry. She doesn't talk to me."

"Well, if enough people knew what was out there hunting them, they'd never leave their house. I think you need to sit her down."

"Well, I don't want to scare her. I don't want my daughter to be this...frightened, paranoid kid who's always looking over her shoulder."

"Catherine, there's a big difference between scaring her and preparing her. And all the reasons why you should are in that room," he countered and she sat back to think about it.

Saturday October 2nd, 2004
9:06 a.m.
CSI Forensic Autopsy

Dr. Robbins showed Grissom Alicia's x-rays. Grissom pointed to the white spots on the x-ray. "What is all this bone scarring?"

"I thought you would be interested. Twelve holes exactly made by a large bore needle."

"Marrow harvest?"

"Young Alicia donated bone marrow at least twice. Pretty selfless thing to do once, considering how painful the procedure is."

"Let me ask you, what most likely causes shortness of breath, obvious bruising, sudden nosebleeds, petechiae?"

"Sounds like acute leukemia, but without immunophenotyping, I couldn't tell you what kind."

"Alicia's cause of death?"

"Cardiopulmonary arrest."

"Time of death?"

"That's a little trickier. No solids in the stomach contents, just a milky liquid. Liver mortis was fixed and deep purple with a vitreous humor potassium level of 20 millimoles per liter with faint putrefaction. So, I'd say she's been dead about...44 hours between midnight and 8:00 A.M., the day of her kidnapping."

"Which means April Perez was lying about the abduction."

"Yep. Story's got more holes than her sister's bones."

Saturday October 2nd, 2004
10:45 a.m.
CSI Lab

Catherine and Grissom were in the lab going over the medical records. "Daniel Perez was diagnosed with relapsing acute promyelocytic leukemia or APL when he was ten. It's rare, it's nasty, and it usually hits Hispanics."

"His sister, Alicia was conceived in vitro to be a genetic match," Catherine spoke up.

"Well, it's not unheard of. Have a baby; get the undeveloped stem cells from cord blood. New parents are even storing it now."

"But when she was four, they took her blood for a transfusion. At seven, they took her blood to remove stem cells."

"Well, Daniel must have relapsed because they took bone marrow twice," Grissom continued indicating the notations on the whiteboard.

"It takes one to one-and-a-half liters of marrow for a successful harvest."

"A living DNA factory."

Saturday October 2nd, 2004
12:32 p.m.
CSI DNA Lab

Mia put a sample into the blender container and ground it up while Greg sat at the table watching her. She smiled at him as he watched her, prompting her along, helping her by holding out the next instrument she was going to be using. "I don't need help."

"I know. I'm just trying to make the transition seamless. Forget I'm here," he replied as he sat back in this chair and she continued to work. "So would you like to grab a bite later? I know a diner down the street that serves a mean liver and onions."

"I don't eat out."

"Never ever?"

"I don't like expectorant."

"Really?"

"Kitchen staff talk while they prepare your food and then the wait staff repeats your order over the plate, and by the time you get your meal, there are several DNA samples coating it."

"Wow." He had never thought of that.

"Yeah. No, thank you," she agreed as she put the sample in the machine. "I don't eat birthday cake either."

"Oh, blowing out the candles." Greg put together.

"Ugh. Don't get me started," Mia groaned as she turned the machine on.

Saturday October 2nd, 2004
5:08 p.m.
LVPD Waiting Room/Hallway

Sybil Perez sat in the waiting room. She looked up and saw Catherine walking in the hallway, getting up she exited the waiting room to catch up with Catherine. "Excuse me," she began as Catherine turned around. "Um...what happens to April now?"

"She is being charged and processed and the court will probably grant her bail," Catherine explained.

"Do you know how much...?"

"Why?"

"She's my daughter."

"She's refusing to talk about what happened to your youngest child, Mrs. Perez," Catherine pointed out.

"I can't leave her in jail."

"I think it might be the best place for her."

Sybil sighed. "This is my fault. I...I was never there for her. I..."

"Why don't we step in here, please?" Catherine suggested before they stepped back into the waiting room.

"I spent all my energy getting Daniel to the next...thing, the next pill, the next treatment, the next remission, hoping that this time..." Sybil began as they sat down.

"And, uh, where did Alicia fit in, except for what she could give to your son?"

"You have no idea what it's like," Sybil argued.

"I saw her medical records. I looked at her x-rays. I know what that little girl suffered, what you put her through."

"So, you would let your child die and do nothing. Never. No, you'd talk to doctors and research. And then you'd find out that the national bone marrow registry can't help you 'cause your son is mixed race. And even if he wasn't, there aren't enough donors. Out of four million, only 205,000 are Latino. I did what I had to do."

"You put one child over another," Catherine argued.

Sybil scoffed. "I don't expect you to understand. You don't have kids," she continued before standing up.

"Uh, I have a daughter."

Sybil chuckled wryly "So, what kind of mother are you? When do you see her? You work nights. You probably don't even know where she half the time. Alicia's life may not have been simple, but at least I knew her. Can you say the same?"

Sunday October 3rd, 2004
11:43 a.m.
CSI Trace Lab

Jessica and Greg stood at opposite ends of the trace table. On it were two boxes filled with bags of evidence. "Greg, you said you wanted to help out."

"Well, yeah, with searching April's apartment, maybe finding the bad guy."

"This counts as field work, you know?"

"Oh, I'm smiling on the inside."

"Dirty laundry or garbage?" Jessica asked before Greg started to answer. "You know what? You take the garbage," she continued with a smile.

"Thanks," he answered dryly as they each grabbed their box. They placed it in front of themselves and opened the bags inside, Jessica going through the clothing as Greg picked through the garbage.

"April own a computer?" Greg asked after he found a scrunched up piece of paper and discovered it to be a map.

"No. Why?"

"Well, she MapQuested the directions to the convenience store from the pedophile's address," Greg explained as he handed the paper to Jessica.

Sunday October 3rd, 2004
1:08 p.m.
LVPD Morgue

"I already told you, Mom, I heard you. Can we go now?" Lindsey asked after Catherine had led her into the morgue.

"No," Catherine began as she continued to lead Lindsey over to a storage area. "You need to see for yourself why you can't ever hitchhike or go downtown or be careless with your safety. Are you ready?"

"Just do it. I'm not scared," Lindsey challenged.

Catherine opened the container door and pulled out the body of the dead woman. "It's not a pretty sight," she began softly as she spoke. "She was waiting for a bus downtown when she was attacked. She's was 23. She was taller and stronger than you, Lindsay. She fought back and didn't win. Someone's gonna have to tell her family. Her parents are gonna have to see her like this. Do you get it now?"

Lindsay looked at Catherine, and then ran out of the morgue. Moments after she disappeared through the door, Robbins walked into the morgue. "Kids don't belong in the coroner's office unless they're in a drawer. You should've found a different way to deal with your daughter's rebellion," he told Catherine as he walked up to her and she put the drawer back.

"Well, with due respect, Doc, this doesn't concern you," Catherine answered as she turned to follow her daughter.

"Ever notice how childhood keeps getting shorter and shorter? Whose fault is that?" Robbins called after her before she whirled around.

"I honestly don't know!" that said, she left and Al watched her go with a frown.

Sunday October 3rd, 2004
3:37 p.m.
Perez Residence

Warrick walked into the bedroom and looked around. He found the bloody handkerchief on the nightstand and picked it up as he put his kit down. As he knelt next to the bed, he found some blue fibers on the bed sheet, and picked it up to look at it.

Jessica walked into the bedroom behind him. "Daniel Perez is taking oxycodone for pain, and Alicia was on diazepam," she explained as she looked at a prescription bottle.

"Diazepam? That's a pretty hard-core antidepressant for a kid that small."

"I guess they didn't want her complaining while they were mining her body for healthy cells," Jessica suggested.

"You think they didn't care about her?" Warrick asked

"I don't know," Jessica sighed softly

"Well, it must've been hard, trying to keep their son alive, keep the family together. Couldn't have been easy."

"It wasn't for Alicia," Warrick looked up at her and she looked away. "Did you find anything?"

Warrick sighed. "Yeah. Blue fibers."

Jessica and Warrick stepped out of the house some time later and spotted Nick on the Front Drive. Nick had a tripod set up just outside the car.

"I take it you qualified at the range," Warrick began with a smile

"You take it right."

"What'd you shoot?"

"260 out of 300. 225's passing, which, I believe, was your high score."

Warrick chuckled. "What are you doing?"

"Well, this is the dad's car. You ever see those guys out in the street, with the scope, measuring distances? Always thought they were nuts for standing out in traffic, but..." he closed the tripod and showed them the leg rods together. "Look familiar?"

"Looks like the lividity marks on Alicia's body," Jessica replied.

Sunday October 3rd, 2004
3:48 p.m.
LVPD Interview Room A

"I don't get you, man. I mean, even if you could explain it, I would never understand how you could stuff your daughter in the trunk of your car and dump her body in the woods!" Brass spoke as he looked at Carlos Perez

"I had to protect my family."

"Wasn't Alicia part of your family? You're her father, you dumb bastard! You're supposed to protect her. What kind of man are you?"

"Guilty," Carlos answered simply.

Sunday October 3rd, 2004
4:08 p.m.
LVPD Interview Room B

Brass looked at Sybil Perez across the table from him. "You know, we got enough evidence to charge you with premeditated murder."

"You don't have any proof I killed my daughter."

"You helped your husband move the body. You know, I really don't see him taking her underpants off, so that job was left to you. Then you or your daughter, April, checked the sex offenders' registry, and you tried to frame an innocent man."

Sybil scoffed. "Innocent? You trying to make me believe you really give a damn about a pedophile? Please."

"Forget about that; this is about you. You're the tough one. You run the house. You run the family. People do what you say in a crisis."

"So?"

"So, this time Alicia said no. She wanted to keep her kidney, and that pissed you off. So, you killed her."

"That's ridiculous."

"She was angry, she wanted to play on the soccer team, she wanted a life," Brass argued

"Alicia got angry, sometimes. Just sick of it. We all did. But she'd have been devastated if Daniel had died and she did nothing to prevent it. She loved her brother."

"And you're just the type of woman that would never let her forget it. Come on, Alicia wanted out of this game, and you couldn't let that happen. Not to Daniel, not to your only son, your favorite child. You slipped Alicia some of Daniel's oxycodone. So now you got a problem, you had a dead body in the house and no plausible explanation. What are you gonna do? So you call your daughter April. You make up a story; you play your roles, and put on a show. Oh, you know, I…I thought the, uh, the slap was a nice touch."

Sunday October 3rd, 2004
5:10 p.m.
Local Church

Grissom walked down the aisle toward the front of the church where Daniel Perez sat, and took a seat in the pew behind Daniel.

"I didn't realize until...today...how lucky I am. I know pretty much...how and when I'm gonna die. Most people don't. It's what they're afraid of."

"Was your sister afraid?" Grissom asked softly

Daniel turned to look at Grissom. "Never." Turning he looked back at the front of the church. "I'm 11 years older than her, and she took care of me. She was my best friend, and I miss her. As much pain as...I caused her...and she wouldn't give up, and she...she wouldn't let me, either. That's why...during the last relapse, I made my parents swear that it was the very last time."

"But then your kidneys failed, and they broke their word, huh?"

"They told me they...swore not to fight the cancer, so this didn't count. I wasn't gonna lose this fight. I couldn't watch her suffer anymore."

"This wasn't a mercy killing, Daniel. This was an execution. Bone marrow, transfusions...that's her blood in your veins. It dripped out of your nose onto the blanket while you were killing her. If you cared so much for Alicia, why didn't you take your own life instead of hers?"

"Suicide isn't an option. It's an unforgivable sin in the eyes of God."

"But you believe your God forgives murder? If that's your defense, it won't keep you out of jail," Grissom countered

Daniel turned around to look at Grissom once more; his cheeks are stained with tears. "But my death will. See, I've got about six more months. I'll be dead before there's even a trial," standing up he continued. "I…I do want to thank you, though."

"For what?"

"For speaking for Alicia. You're probably the first person in her life to think only of her. You know, you may not believe in God, sir, but you do his work," Daniel nodded once before leaving and walking up to the officer near the entrance, who handcuffed him.

Grissom remained behind in the pew and looked up at the statue of Jesus on the wall with his arms outstretched. He would never understand the doctrine of the church, what could possess someone to think that killing another was better than suicide. He didn't know anyone that would.

Sara might

Frowning as he tried to figure out where that thought came from, Grissom shook his head as he picked up a bible. Flipping through it leisurely he wondered just what Sara might say if she were there now, sitting next to him...

No answer came as he waited there.