Meeting captain Jim Brass and doctor Gil Grissom
"We're here." Aelithe commented as she killed the engine. While everyone was getting out, Paige asked her: "What kind of a person is this detective James Brass?"
"It's Jim Brass. He is a bit rough around the edges, but he has a good heart. He is an all in all good guy. He is the one I call when a crime falls through our cracks. He knows I am magical, it took him some time to come to terms with that. He still is nervous when the crimes travel into the magical world. But he is okay. Don't let his demeanour fool you, he takes some getting used to and when he sees you are okay he will do a lot for you." Aelithe explained while Piper, Leo and Phoebe got out and they walked to the entrance of the police station.
The group walked through the hallways of the police station, Aelithe walked in front effectively weaving in and out of the many characters crowding the hallways. Cops, regular people coming forward with useful and useless information, criminals being led to the cells or interrogation rooms, escorted by more cops, detectives amicably chatting to other officers, sometimes trading important case-breaking information or just some titbit information on their own lives. The characters didn't phase any of the group, since Piper, Phoebe, Paige and Leo encountered much the same scene's when they went to the police station of San Fransisco to ask the help of Darryl. Aelithe knew her way around and quickly knocked on the door that lead to Brass's office. Luck would have it, that the captain was in fact in his office. So a gruff voice called: "Come in." Aelithe opened the door and stepped in the roomy office, she walked towards Brass's desk. "Hi, Jim." Brass looked up from his work and blinked twice: "Aelithe, my my, what a surprise. What brings you here? You and your friends." Brass nodded to the people standing behind Aelithe. He stood and walked to Aelithe and kissed her cheek three times.
"These are Piper, Phoebe and Paige Halliwel and Leo, from San Fransisco." Aelithe indicated them and then introduced Brass: "This is captain Jim Brass." Brass shook the hands of the Halliwel sisters and Leo.
"Now that we are properly introduced, would you mind telling me how I can help you, Aelithe?"
"The business that brought us here, includes the Halliwel sisters."
"I gathered that as much, is this related to the reason why you so occasionally seek me out, Aelithe?"
"Yes, the Halliwel sisters are also witches, very powerful at that."
"Ah, right." Brass waited for Aelithe to continue, but she didn't do that immediately. She sat down on one of the seats that stood in Brass's office. Brass picked up the conversation: "Do I need to know something about the murders that have occurred the past time?"
"Not as far as I know. We uncovered something that happened four years ago. I don't know whether or not the murder was magical."
"You have got to give me more than 'four years'. Do you have a name?"
"Yes, Debbie Marlin, does that ring any bells." Aelithe noticed the shift in Brass's face, she knew he remembered the case.
"Why do you need to know about Debbie Marlin?" Brass asked.
"We need to find someone who was related to the case, either as a witness or somebody who worked with you on this case. Do you remember anything about the case? Anything odd or out of place? Were there people present who shouldn't be present?"
"Not that I can think of." Brass seemed reluctant to give out information on this case, that much was obvious to Aelithe and Phoebe.
"Are you trying to protect someone, captain Brass?" Phoebe asked, she could feel that Brass wasn't feeling happy about recalling this particular case. "What made you remember the case? Because you obviously remember the case." Brass looked at Phoebe, he could see that she observed him carefully.
"I am sorry, but I can't discuss this case." Brass said.
"Why not, Jim? What is so special about this case? It happened four years ago." Aelithe pleaded with him.
"The killer was never caught, I can't discuss open cases with people not related to the case. I'm sorry Aelithe, I can't help you."
"Jim, this is really important, maybe we can help you find the killer. We need to contact someone who was there. An elderly man and a young woman. Brass, you are the only one who can help us at this point." Aelithe said, Brass stood from his chair and went to stand in front of his window. He looked out and sighed. "Aelithe, we know who did it, we just can't prove it. That makes it difficult."
"Who is it that you are protecting?" Phoebe tried again, knowing she was on the right track.
"I am not trying to protect anyone." Brass stated.
"Yes, you are, why? Do you think they might get in trouble if you told us? Do you think the killer might kill them if you told us? Maybe we can protect them, we have different ways of protecting people, more effective often." Phoebe pressed on, feeling that Brass was getting backed in a corner, she was definitely on the right track.
"No, I am not afraid the killer might kill him, I don't think he has a reason to do that."
"Then what?!" Phoebe stood from her chair and walked towards Brass, who turned around. Phoebe could see a pained look in Brass's eyes. "What happened in that case, that makes you feel that you still need to protect him, after four years?"
"A friend of mine took special interest in the case. It obsessed him." Brass finally admitted.
"Why? What was so special?" Aelithe took over from Phoebe.
"I am not going to tell you that, you need to speak to him. I have a faint idea, but I am not completely sure."
"So to who do we need to speak?"
"Doctor Gil Grissom." Brass said, sounding a bit defeated.
"How can we contact this Doctor Grissom?" Aelithe asked.
"If you stay here, I will get him, he is here on some business." Brass made to leave, but Aelithe stopped him: "Thank you Jim, I know that you don't like to involve other people in our business, but this is really necessary. Thank you."
"Yeah, yeah I know. But you get to explain your reasons for being here. I will just tell him someone wants to speak with him." Brass exited his office.
Brass quickly located Grissom in one of the interrogation rooms. He was just wrapping up the interrogation of the suspect. When he came out of the room, Brass halted Grissom: "Hey Gil. How did it go?"
"Good, he tried to weasel his way out, but after I relayed the evidence he confessed."
"Great. Another case solved."
"Yes, was that all you needed to know?"
"No, actually, there is someone in my office who wants to speak to you about an old case."
"Could you give them my number? I really want to get back to the lab."
"What is the rush? Your shift is almost over."
"I know, but I want to see Sara before I go home, she was a bit nervous. I want to make sure she is alright."
"It will only take a minute. They came from far, actually from San Fransisco." That spiked Grissom's attention. "Okay, I'll come." Together they walked to Brass's office.
As the door of the office opened the people inside rose and Brass and Grissom walked in.
"Aelithe, this is dr. Gil Grissom. Grissom, Aelithe, she contacts me sometimes on some cases." Brass indicated the mentioned persons and Aelithe and Grissom shook hands, Aelithe noticed a little tingling feeling when she shook Grissom's hand. Interesting she thought.
"You are quite famous here in Las Vegas, dr. Grissom. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Thank you." Grissom raised a questioning brow to indicate that he wanted to know who the other persons in the office were. Aelithe picked the subtle signal up and introduced the others: "These are Piper, Phoebe and Paige Halliwel and Leo Wyatt. They are from San Fransisco." They all shook hands and after the introductions were over, sat all down. Grissom started: "So, what brought you here in Las Vegas." He directed the question to the Halliwel sisters. Phoebe answered: "I am a reporter (which wasn't far from the truth), and I got an anonymous tip to check out a murder that happened here in Las Vegas. Here we asked Aelithe's help, she is in the same business and had heard from the murder. She led us to captain Brass."
Grissom raised his eyebrows and looked at Brass: "You get help from a reporter?"
"I am a crime reporter and I sometimes hear things that the police is not privy to. So I talk to Brass, anonymously of course." Aelithe tried to cover as much as she could, but she could see that Grissom was not easily fooled. Grissom seemed to let it rest for now and asked his next question: "How can I help you, Brass has all the information that I have."
"The case that I want to write about is the murder of Debbie Marlin." Phoebe saw Grissom's reaction to this information. It was similar to Brass's reaction, he was getting defensive. Clearly this had not been just a case, just a murder, but what made it different. They needed to know.
"Like I just said, Brass has got the same information that I have. Why do you need to talk to me?" Grissom was a little bit intrigued with these people, they were lying about the real reason they were here, but at the same time he felt that they had no choice. They were covering up their real identities. However Grissom was also getting inpatient, he had no time for this, he wanted to get back to the lab and see how Sara was doing. He felt a pressing need to get her home and protect her from what the rest of the day was going to bring. It was irrational, but that was what he felt, like somewhere there was someone lurking around to harm his Sara, and nobody would harm his Sara, not as long as he had anything to say about it.
"Yes, but captain Brass said that you showed a heightened interest in the case, why?" Phoebe still closely observed Grissom, he looked at Brass, but conveyed no emotions. Phoebe choose to further press the issue: "Why was this case so interesting to you? What made it special?"
"I have no idea why captain Brass would say that I was interested in the case." Was Grissom answer.
"If that is so, then why did your demeanour change when you heard the name Debbie Marlin?" Phoebe asked: "Also the demeanour of captain Brass changed when he heard the name Debbie Marlin. What made this case special? Who are you trying to protect?"
"What makes you say I am protecting someone?" Grissom countered the question, he was impressed with Phoebe's insight, but that didn't mean that the whole Debbie Marlin case had to be dragged back.
"Please dr. Grissom, I think we can help protect who you want to protect, but we need you to be honest. Why do you feel the need to protect someone? Are you afraid that the killer might return and kill this person?"
"Why do you think you can protect someone, when the police is the most reasonable source for protecting, if that is needed? What is it that you want?" Grissom was getting a bit impatient, if they thought that he was going to give away information to people he hardly knew, they had another thing coming. Why had Brass insisted on him meeting these people? The atmosphere in the office was cooling down rapidly. Grissom was watching Brass, hoping he could shed some light on the matter, but Brass kept his mouth firmly shut. The other people were looking at each other, at a loss of how to proceed. After a short uncomfortable silence, Piper spook: "Who was the woman you looked at when you came out of the house?"
Grissom looked at her, stunned, how could she know about this? He decided to voice his bewilderment: "How do you know that? Where you there? There were no photographs taken that night. Where did you get that information from? From Brass?"
"No, not from me. I only told them to talk to you." Brass intervened.
"Well, I am done. If you can't give me a legitimate reason for researching this murder, then you are not getting more information from me." Grissom had had enough, he wanted to get to Sara, so he stood and stalked out of the office. Brass followed him.
"Why did you want me to talk to them?" Grissom was not pleased with Brass. Brass could hear that in Grissom's voice.
"I trust Aelithe, but she has a bit of a complex history. I am not going to tell you that, because you wouldn't believe me. It took me quite a while to believe and trust her."
"Well until they can tell me exactly why they want this information, they are not going to get more from me. I am going to the lab. I will see you tomorrow night." Grissom turned around and walked out of the police station.
Brass quickly relayed the last thing Grissom had said to him, to the four women. "I think, that we need to get home and see what our next step is going to be. Thank you Brass, for helping us this far." Aelithe said to Brass.
"One more thing, here is the address of the forensics lab, Grissom works there at night. But Aelithe you will have to be straight with him, otherwise he is not going to help you. He has seen a lot of strange things, he will be open to it, more so then me in the beginning. I hope you find what you need to find."
"Thank you Jim. I'll see you around."
"Absolutely. Bye." Brass let his visitors out of his office and then pulled out the file he had on Debbie Marlin to take the information in one more time. Maybe he could find something else, now that he knew where to look.