Title: Shattered Lives

Author: csimiamilover

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:Miami; never have, never will.

Chapter 3- The Click Of A Camera

I don't remember when it started. I try to block out that memory, the first sign that my life was falling to pieces. I knew that everywhere I went, someone would be looking over my shoulder, watching me. I knew I would never forget the sound of a camera clicking, capturing something beautiful. No, that sound would forever be engraved in my memory.

The smell of death still lingered in the air long after the body was hauled away. The toxic stench filled Calleigh's nostrils as she tracked the polished floor with her flashlight in one hand. She was searching for any useable evidence, emerald green eyes glued to the surface beneath her feet.

Not finding anything useful the platinum blonde moved on. She slowed to a stop when she reached the master bathroom. Walking deeper into the small and cluttered space, her gaze traveled throughout the room. The walls were painted a light pink color like the rest of the apartment. To her right there was a small sink with an oval mirror above it, and to the left stood a shower stall. The bathroom was pretty plain like the owner didn't really care much about it.

She walked over to the sink first, resting a gloved hand on the warm marble and peering into the wastebasket beside it. Hidden among the tissues and toilet paper was a pregnancy test. Reaching into the basket, Calleigh pulled the test out and held it up to the flashlight. The test was positive; Jennifer Shelton was pregnant. As Calleigh slipped the test into an evidence baggie sadness washed over her like a flood at the thought that Jennifer Shelton would never be a mother. But in the back of her mind she couldn't help but question if the young woman wanted a child at her age?

I guess we'll never know. The ballistics expert thought sadly, spinning around and exiting the master bath. Once again Calleigh found herself standing in the bedroom with the faint sound of a camera clicking reaching her ears. She looked over at the source of the noise and her heart fluttered. Eric Delko was no doubt the most attractive man Calleigh had ever laid her eyes on and he left her breathless whenever they were in close contact with each other. No doubt this was love but she was too stubborn to acknowledge that fact. They were best friends after all and that meant the world to her. Shaking the thoughts away she crossed the room, coming to a standstill beside him, evidence baggie in hand.

He looked up at her and smiled. She was pretty sure she was melting inside. "Hey Eric, found anything useful?"

He nodded his head of black hair once. "Wolfe found her diary in the bureau and I found her laptop on the nightstand. I'm hoping there's something we could use on the hard drive. "

Handsome and smart. "Jennifer was pregnant, I found the test in her bathroom trash. That could be motive. I'm heading out to the lab now. " Calleigh explained.

"Alright, catch you later Cal." With that she turned around and walked away sensing his gaze on her as she turned the corner and disappeared out of view.

5 minutes later Calleigh was in the building parking lot, loading the box of evidence into the back of the hummer. She quickly and carefully placed it among her kit. While the ballistics expert was completing this task she didn't notice the car parked at the far right end of the parking lot. She wouldn't know that the driver was studying her with such intensity that it was scary. No, Calleigh wouldn't hear the sound of a camera capturing her beauty on film. She was about to become the leading role in someone's dark and twisted fantasy and the CSI didn't even know it.

Talk about scary.

--

Back at Miami-Dade in layout, Calleigh sorted through the evidence they had collected at the Shelton crime scene. She was perched on a stool with her blonde hair pulled out of her face. The blonde laid the glossy photos onto the glass tabletop and studied them intensely. The first crime scene photograph her gaze had landed on was of the victim. She picked it up and examined it closely for a moment. The victim was positioned by the killer, that much she knew. She just didn't know who had done the positioning. Letting out a long sigh, she placed the photo down and turned back to the box of evidence. Digging into the pile of the evidence her fingertips brushed against a leather surface. Grasping the item, Calleigh pulled it out of the box and rested it onto the table among the photographs.

It was a journal.

With her curiosity peaked, Calleigh opened it and began to read the first entry on the page.

September 5, 2008

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.
-- Frank Herbert, Dune. Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear.

I found this quote on the internet last night and decided to put it in this entry. I believe I am being stalked. It's this funny feeling I get whenever I go somewhere. I get scared going to sleep at night because I think someone's watching through the window. It isn't just the feeling someone's following me, I received threatening love letters that were unsigned and flowers without a card. I turned them over to the police and they said they would look into but I doubt that will help any. My stalker is very obsessive and I fear the outcome. I fear my life.

I fear that the outcome will be deadly. Deadly.

--

Calleigh shuddered after reading the entry, closing the journal. She learned two things from reading that entry:

A. Jennifer Shelton was being stalked.

B. She feared for her life and was threatened.

The blonde wondered if the stalker knew about Jennifer's pregnancy. Could that spell motive for him? Someone cleared their throat from behind her cutting through her thoughts. She jumped up, startled. Turning around she came face to face with her boss. "Horatio, you scared me half to death!" Calleigh exclaimed, her faint but unmistakable Southern accent showing itself.

Horatio walked deeper into the room, stopping in front of the table. He flashed her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry for scaring you ma'am, did you find anything?"

Calleigh nodded, her ponytail swinging from side to side. "I found out she was being stalked. She wrote about it in her journal."

He raised an eyebrow. "Stalked? Did she mention any possible suspects?"

She shook her head. "No she didn't but she mentions that he was obsessive and threatening. She was also pregnant and I think that could be a possible motive for the stalker."

The redhead nodded his head in agreement. "The stalker could have been in love with the victim and found out she was pregnant. That would ruin his fantasy."

"I don't know Horatio, but I couldn't imagine being in that situation." Famous last words.

--

TBC? Tell me what you think.