Chapter 8

He sat in the car for a half an hour, trying to make some sense of everything that had happened. In the past few days, he was forced to deal with Warrick's murder and the emergence of a new serial killer. He wasn't' sure if he could deal with Sara's leaving again on top of that. Four days. She was leaving in four days. He only had four days left with her, four days to show her the extent of his love for her, four days to hold her. He pulled the keys from the ignition and walked back into the house.

After taking off his shoes, he walked quietly through the house. He found Sara asleep on the sofa. White lines cut down her red cheeks, displaying the path of her tears. Strands of hair bonded to the remaining moisture of her tears. His heart lurched, knowing she had cried herself to sleep.

Perched on the edge of the sofa, Grissom gazed down at Sara, nearly spilling his own tears at the sight of her. He lifted his hand to her face and gently brushed away the hairs, careful not to wake her. He continued to run his hand through her hair, soothing her sleeping form. And he sat, for an hour, watching her while she slept.

When Sara's eyes began to flutter open, he pulled his hand from her hair and placed it on her cheek. She peered up at him. "Hey. When did you get back?"

"I never left. I sat in my car for about a half an hour, then came back in." He smiled apologetically.

"Oh. How long have I been asleep?"

"My guess would be just over an hour." He stared down at her and examined her face, noting the fatigue he saw there. "You look exhausted. Did you sleep at all last night?"

She shook her head. "No, I couldn't. I was worried about you." He watched as she sat up and moved next to him. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at the lab?"

Grasping her hand in his, he turned his face to her and smiled. "I didn't want to spend another moment without you. We only have four days." He looked down at her hand and began to play with her fingers.

"What about your case?"

He sighed. "We are suffering from a lack of evidence. We have lots of prints, but nothing registering in AFIS and the only DNA belongs to the victims. Catherine and Nick are looking through all the evidence from all the cases. I have to look through the files from the first three murders and see if I can work out a profile, but I can do that here."

"Hmm." Sara slumped against the back of the sofa and let out a yawn. Grissom watched as she fought the need to close her eyes.

"You must be tired. Come on, let's go to bed." He stood up and pulled her along with him, helping her to her feet. He led her to the bedroom and watched as she collapsed onto the bed. He laid himself down beside her and smiled when she curled into him. It wasn't long until she was asleep.

He woke her a couple of hours later and chuckled when she protested. "Sorry. I know you're tired, but I didn't want you to sleep too long. I wanted to make sure you'd be able to sleep tonight."

"S'okay."

"I made some food if you're hungry." He stood and moved to the door, making his way into the kitchen. Minutes later he heard Sara enter and felt her wrap her arms around him from behind. Her head came over his shoulder. "What smells so good?"

"I made quiche. It's keeping warm in the oven." He removed himself from her embrace and took the quiche out of the oven, setting it down on the table. He grabbed a couple of plates and forks and sat down at the table. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving." Sara sat down across from him and cut into the quiche.

Taking small bites of his own meal, he watched as Sara devoured her food. He sighed softly and glanced across the table. "Sara, I know that I said I wanted to spend every minute of the next four days with you, but I have to go to the lab. I left my files in my office and I have to pick them up."

"Alright."

"Do you want to come in with me?"

"No, I'll stay here, maybe take Hank for a walk."

"Let's walk him together. I can go into the lab after."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure." He took his and Sara's plates and set them in the sink. As Sara left to get changed, he grabbed the leash from the side of the door and called Hank. When the dog came bounding into the room, he fastened the leash and waited for Sara.

Sara took Hank's leash from Grissom. He grasped her other hand while they walked.

"What are you thinking about?"

Grissom snapped his head up at Sara's question. "Oh. I'm thinking about the lab."

"You know, you can go back and check everything out. I'm okay walking Hank alone."

"No." He squeezed her hand tighter. "I wasn't thinking about going back to work. I was thinking about how I am going to go back to work after all of this." He sighed. "I feel like I'm losing control and I don't know what to do about it. I blew up at Ecklie earlier today. I wanted him to catch Warrick's killer so badly that I tried to force the evidence. Ecklie's trying to rush things by releasing a name without evidence, hoping to pacify the media and the team."

"That's a little dangerous. It could turn out as well as Catherine's reverse forensics stunt."

"Worse. Whoever is behind this had a private investigator, Lou Gedda and Warrick all killed to keep it quiet. Releasing a name in connection will just show our hand to someone wielding a lot of power."

"So, what are you thinking about doing?"

"I don't know. I'm worried about the integrity of the lab. If it turns out we have somebody high up in the department behind all of this, then we have to be concerned with the evidence. Cases could be compromised, already have been compromised. I don't think I can stay on at the lab if that is the case."

"They need you, Gil. They need someone to maintain the integrity and fight for the truth."

He sighed again. "I know. I'll stay on and document. Besides, I have to watch over the team. Nick has been so angry. I'm worried about what he will do."

"Be careful, Gil. Do not let anything happen to you."

"I'll be careful. I'll document everything and only share it with someone I really trust."

"Maddie Klein?"

"I think that would be best. What do you think?"

"I think she'd be the one to confide in." Sara paused. "I meant it when I told you not to let anything happen to you. I can't lose you."

He turned Sara to face him, placing his arms on her shoulders. "I'll take every precaution, I promise."

"Good." Sara's arms wrapped around him. "I'm already hanging by a thread."

He chuckled and held her tight against him. He released her and moved to step back, finding he couldn't. Hank, in an attempt to get their attention, decided to run circles around them, managing to wrap the leash around their legs. Grissom spun them out of the leash while Sara laughed. "I think we should get your dog home."

"I'm going to head to the lab when we get back. I'll only be gone an hour. You'll be alright?"

She smiled at him. "I'll manage."


"Where did Grissom go?" Catherine reentered the layout room and looked at Nick. "He's not in his office."

"I'm not sure. You sure he's not there?"

"No, I was just in there."

"Did you page him?"

"Not yet."

"Don't bother." Catherine turned and looked in the doorway at the sound of the last voice.

"Hodges, do you know where he is?"

"I heard he blew up and broke the glass to Ecklie's door. Ecklie probably sent him home."

"Thanks Hodges. Did you need something?"

"No."

"Alright, goodbye now." She watched Hodges leave and turned to Nick, raising her eyebrows. "Everything must be really getting to him." She looked for a response but received none. Everything was getting to all of them. "Anyways, let's look at this. The cuts on all of the victims' backs are smooth, about one inch deep. What kind of knife is he using?"

"Some kind of carving knife. A hunting knife maybe?"

"I'll send Greg to all of the hunting supply stores, see if he can come up with anything." She laid out the pictures of the five women. "What do you make of the markings?"

"I don't know. That's Grissom's area."

"He's probably looking at it as we speak."

"Yeah." Nick looked over at her. "Do you really think he blew up at Ecklie?"

"I wouldn't put it past him. Ecklie gets to him like no one else."

"Ecklie gets to us all like that."

Catherine nodded and turned back towards the evidence. As she turned, she spotted Grissom walking briskly past the door. "Grissom."

He stopped and walked into the layout room. She studied him. "Where have you been?"

"Home."

"Did you really break Ecklie's window?"

"Yes."

"Are you suspended?"

"No."

She groaned at his one word answers. "Did you cool off? Is that why you're back at the lab?"

"No. I just came in to pick up the files on our victims. I'm going back home."

She watched him turn to exit. "Grissom."

"Yeah?"

"Why?"

She stepped back as he reentered the room and sighed. "Ecklie had to put away Warrick's case for now. There isn't enough evidence to continue."

"What? He can't do that."

"Nick, he did. He didn't have much of a choice. There isn't any evidence. Don't lose your temper too. It doesn't help anything. If you need me, call me. I'm going back home."

"Yeah, bye." Catherine felt a tear in the corner of her eye. She wiped it away. "Come on Nick, Grissom's right. Losing our temper won't help. You go after Ecklie now, when he's already pissed at Grissom and he won't pause for a second before suspending you."

"But Warrick…"

"I know, but we can't make evidence appear. Something will turn up and when it does, Grissom will make sure Warrick's case gets reopened.

"Yeah, I know."

Catherine gave Nick's shoulder a squeeze. "So where were we?"

"You were about to call Greg and send him on a hunting expedition."

"Right."

"Cath?" She looked over at Nick. "What do you make of Matt Klein? Why would the killer hang him?"

"I don't know. He comes up to the hotel room to check on his fiancé, and the killer is there?"

"The killer is doing what? Posing the bodies by that time? Klein went up after not being able to reach his fiancé."

"So the killer is posing the bodies and hears the door open. He hits Klein on the back of the head."

"What did he hit him with? Nothing in the room is disturbed. Apart from the bodies and the blood spatter from the cast off, the room is immaculate. Did you find any blood on anything not consistent with blood splatter?"

Catherine shook her head. "Only the blood pooled on the bed beneath the victims. He either wiped clean the object he hit Klien with, or he took it with him."

"What about the butt end of the knife?"

"It's a possibility. We'll have to check the wound closely, see if we can find a pattern."

"So he knocks Klein out. Why hang him? Why not stab him? And why did he use the sheet from the other bed, then remake the bed?"

"I don't know." Catherine paused and tried to refocus. She was finding it hard to concentrate, thinking about Warrick and how the investigation into his murder was dropped. "Look, let's take a break and get something to eat."

"Sure." Nick looked at her. "Uh, Cath, where do you want to go?"

Her eyes widened. "Um, let's put this stuff away and go back to my place. We can eat there and get some rest."

"Your place sounds good."


Sara woke to soft kisses on her eyelids. She stretched her arms above her head and opened her eyes. "Mmm, morning."

Grissom chuckled at her and kissed her forehead. "Good morning."

She looked over and saw him sitting against the headboard, files splayed out on the bed in front of him. "You're up? Did you get much sleep?"

"A few hours."

She nodded and watched him flip through the files. "Find anything interesting?"

"We'll see."

"Why are you looking at these here instead of your office?"

"I wanted to be near you."

"Oh." She smiled and brought her head to his lap. She looked up at him and her face turned serious. "You know, I can delay my trip back and stay here a few more days."

He smiled softly. "You already have your flight booked."

"I can change it. If you want me to stay longer, I'll stay."

"Sara, I want you to stay forever." She closed her eyes and felt his fingers brush at the hair on her forehead. "But, you have to go. Don't stay for me. I want you to come back when you're ready and I know you aren't ready yet. I know you only came home to say goodbye to Warrick."

Sara opened her eyes again and stared deeply into Grissom's. She brought her hand up to his cheek. "Gil, no. I know that is why you think I came home, but it isn't, or at least it isn't the only reason." She dropped her hand and looked away. "When you first told me about Warrick, my instinct was to run away and hide. I knew I had to come back and get closure, but I wasn't sure if I could handle that just yet. It was you that gave me the strength to come back." She looked back up and found Grissom's eyes searching hers. She continued to explain. "When you phoned me, I couldn't process his death. Maybe it was because I wasn't here to experience it all, but it didn't feel real. The only thing that felt real was the pain I heard in your voice. I came back so you could lean on me through this. I thought you needed someone, and maybe you needed me. I was scared to come home and face this, but your needs outweighed mine."

"Sara…I…thank you. I did need someone. I needed you, always you, only you, but you need to say goodbye too."

A sigh escaped from her lips. "I know. I'm still waiting for it to hit me though. We can talk about Warrick in the past tense, but it still doesn't seem like he's gone."

She felt Grissom gently lift her head from his lap. He stood up and pulled his files together, placing them on the dresser. "Come on, I want to show you something." She took the hand he offered her and allowed him to pull her up. "Get dressed."

Eyebrows raised, she complied. When she was finished dressing, she felt him place his hand on the small of her back. He led her to the door, then the car. He opened the car door for her. When he was behind the wheel she turned to him. "Gil, where are we going?"

Grissom gave her a mysterious smile and never answered. She frowned and looked out the window. Twenty minutes later, Grissom pulled onto a side street. She recognized the surroundings and her head shot around. "This is Warrick's old neighborhood."

"Yes, it is." He pointed out her window to a small, well maintained house. "That was his grandmother's house."

"So that's where he was raised."

"Raising hell, yes."

She smiled at him before looking back out her window. They pulled up along the curb. She saw the rec center. "This was where Warrick spent his youth."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Go walk around and take a look. Maybe it will help."

Sara opened her door and noticed the three young men approaching the car. Grissom had moved around the car and stood beside her. "Sara, this is Sean. Sean, Sara. I wanted Sara to see the memorial."

"No problem, Dr. Grissom."

Sara looked to the two other boys, then back to Grissom. She turned to Sean. "This is Ty…Tyler, and this is Jaiden. Guys, this is Dr. Grissom. He's the guy who brought all of the flowers over." Sara shook the boys' hands and watched Grissom do the same.

"Sara, go take a look around. I'll be with you shortly. I want to talk to these boys for a minute."

Sara nodded. She leaned into Grissom as he gave her a sof kiss on the forehead. She smiled and turned towards the building.

The entrance to the building overwhelmed her. There were dozens of bouquets of flowers, overflowing into the hall. A large poster board, filled with pictures of Warrick and the neighborhood kids decorated the wall. Underneath, someone had set up a table with a lit candle. A notebook sat on one side of the candle. It was flipped open. The pages were filled with memories of Warrick Brown. A pen sat beside the notebook for others to record their memories. Sara picked up the pen and wrote her own.

Behind the notebook, Sara found a framed picture of a younger Warrick and his grandmother. On the other side of the candle sat one more framed picture. It was a fairly recent picture of Warrick and the entire graveyard team. She recognized the picture. It was the one that used to sit on the mantle in their house.

In that moment, it hit her. Warrick was really gone; he was really dead. Before, she had felt so…detached. The display brought it all home and it hurt. She found it hard to breathe. Tears welled up in her eyes and suddenly she couldn't stand. She stumbled backwards, finding the wall with her hand. She leaned against it and slowly slid down, pulling her knees to her chest. He head fell in between her knees. She released the tears, first weeping, then sobbing. Her head bobbed up and down as she tried to control her tears. One bob of the head up and she noticed Sean and Jaiden looking down at her. She barely heard Sean's voice. "Jai, get Dr. Grissom."

Her body began to tremble as her sobs grew deeper. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to calm her rapid breathing.

"Sara."

The gentle voice caused her head to snap up. She met Grissom's concerned eyes. He never said anything else, only kneeled in front of her, tenderly rubbing circles on her knee with his thumb. She stared into his eyes. His hand turned, palm up as he extended his other hand, offering his two hands to her and pulling her up. She felt his arms snake around her waist. She placed her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shoulder. Then, she felt herself being lifted from the ground as he tightened his hold on her.