Part two
Las Vegas-2005
Cake walk
Greg pulled his car to a stop and yawned. He was still trying to get used to early morning call-outs. He had just crawled into bed at 5 am when his phone went off, on the other line was Grissom telling him to rise and shine.
"Hard to rise when you haven't even laid down," Greg said.
"I promise the over time will be worth it. We have a DB in a bakery kitchen; Bakery is called Torta dei dolci. A few blocks north away from the lab, you can't miss it. When you get their make you sure you see me first," said Grissom.
"Sure," said Greg hanging up with Grissom. He was grateful for Warrick's advice about making sure your clothes and kit where ready for such occasions. He didn't think he had the mental ability to put a kit together right now. He threw on a clean shirt and jeans, grabbed his vest off the sofa and was at the scene ten minutes later. Greg got out and grabbed his kit from the back and went to find Grissom. Greg ran into Nick first thing.
"Hey man, didn't think I see you back so soon." Nick shook his head.
"Day-time TV is the worst thing that ever happened to the human race, I asked if I could come back a few days early before my brain turned into mush from all the Jerry Springer," said Nick holding a door open for Greg. Both men went into the kitchen and were a little thrown back by the smell of sugar and blood. David Phillips, Hodges and Grissom were around the body. The victim was a woman, maybe in her late twenties with the back of her head missing. A bloody rolling pin was next to the body.
"I'm going to take a stab in the dark and say cause of death was blunt force trauma," said Phillips. Phillips started looking for an ID with no luck while Greg pulled out his camera and started clicking photos of the rolling pin, the body and the blood splatter on the floor and counters. Phillips pulled a thermometer out of the woman.
"I'm going to place time of death around 1 or 2 this morning. If you have everything you need from me, I'm going to take her with me to the morgue," said Phillips. Grissom gave the nod and two assistants went and moved the body to a bag and onto a stretcher.
"Sara is going to be here in a little bit to help process the kitchen. Nick, I want you, Greg and Hodges to talk to the owner and staff that found the body. They are upstairs in one of the offices, which is through that door, to your right and up those stairs. Take their statements, along with DNA samples, hair and fingerprints. Bring the owner down here when your done I need to know about the security system and how someone could have gotten into the kitchen without tripping an alarm. And hopefully someone here can id the victim for us.
"Why the hell would you break into a bakery kitchen, unless they keep a safe down here," said Nick. Greg was looking through a purse found under a baker's rack; it was real black leather and a pearl clasp.
"Maybe she had the munchies," suggested Greg handing Grissom the purse that had no id in it either.
"That's silly, if she wanted food it's in the display cases out front," said Hodges. Nick and Greg shared a look while Grissom replied.
"No Hodges that's plastic and foam for display, now go watch Nick and Greg work. Nick and Greg go work," said Grissom. Greg and Nick headed for the offices.
"Why is Hodges here?" asked Greg with a moan.
"Because god likes to punish both of Sanders and because it's my turn in field rotation," said Hodges.
"Swear you two need to get married, maybe you can even get a cake from here," said Nick admiring a fake five tier cake with a castle theme."
"I rather drink bleach," said Hodges.
"It can always be arranged," said Greg heading up the stairs and into the office.
A group of women were huddled together sitting in either chairs or on the floor. One woman wearing blue jeans and a short sleeve shirt showing off a natural tan with her brown hair pulled into a bun was talking on the phone while sitting on a desk, but had her back to them.
"No, it's alright you don't need to come today Lissa. I gave you today off yesterday afternoon, I think shop is closed today anyway, I had to move everything from here to the shop in Henderson." She paused. "Yeah people are pissed off, but not much I can do about it….no I told them we had a gas leak, so unless this makes the papers I think it's going to be ok business wise." One woman with black hair poked the woman on the phone and nodded her head in the direction of Nick Greg and Hodges.
"The 5-0 is here," she said. The woman on the phone nodded.
"Ok. Lissa I have to go, just take today and act like a slacker college student and not the over achieving intern I hired. Bye sweetie," she hung up the phone and turned around. Greg felt himself go red in face and one look at her told her she was just as flustered as he was. She offered Nick a handshake buying for time.
"Jenna Bianchi, I'm the owner."