DISCLAIMER – I don't own anything! CSI NY belongs to CBS and the creators. The Song Lyrics and Title belong to Death Cab for Cutie! Please don't sue! I'm broke:(

A/N Hope everyone likes this chapter as well. It's longer and pretty simple. More interesting stuff in Chapter Two, I promise. :)

Chapter one – A Lack of Colour

If you feel discouraged

When there's a lack of colour here

Please don't worry, lover

It's really bursting at the seams

It was still dark outside when Danny Messer rolled over and slammed his hand down on his alarm clock. Only, it wasn't his alarm clock, it was coming from his pager.

He groaned as he stumbled across the room, trying not to disturb the sleeping woman in his bed. "911. We got a case" read the page from Stella Bonasera. Danny's shift didn't start for another five hours, but he reluctantly replied "k c u in 30". She texted him the address and he went to get dressed.

Just before leaving his apartment, Danny quietly walked over to the side of his bed and kissed the cheek of his girlfriend.

"Sorry, Montana." He whispered in her ear. "I gotta go. We got a case."

Lindsay stirred but he rubber her solder lightly. "No, No, No." he said gently "Go back to sleep. You've got a later shift. I'll see you tonight." He kissed her one last time and slipped out the door into the early morning air.

Stella Bonasera arrived at the crime scene at a little after 3.00am on an early Tuesday morning. She finished off her coffee before starting to take overall photos.

The scene was a small room with a table to the left and a pool of smeared blood to the right. A few glasses and bottles littered the room and the glass top of the table had razor blade scratches and traces of white powder. There were shreds of fabric soaked in blood scattered around the room and a small trail of blood leading out the entrance, from the blood spatter on the wall.

Danny arrived about 20 minutes after his coworker and silently began processing the scene beside her.

"Landlord found the blood." The first responding officer informed then a few minutes later. "Hasn't rented the place to anyone in over a year. Place is scheduled to be knocked down in 2 months for new condos."

Danny nodded. "Who'd have access?" his Staten Island accent thick in the early morning.

"Says he don't know. Lock looks pretty shitty though. Coulda been easily picked or broken. Also says he's never seen this furniture before. It ain't his."

The two CSIs nodded and began to pack up their kits.

"Well that's human blood, so we're gonna need to talk to him." Stella said heading to the door.

"I'll take these samples back to the lab." Danny said holding up the evidence bags. "See if there's a match in CODIS."

She nodded and headed off to talk to the landlord for herself.