Chapter 2

"Catherine?" Grissom called as he caught sight of Catherine quickly walking through the lab. She turned around after hearing his surprised voice.

"Yes Grissom?"

"I heard you nearly lost evidence last night because of the rain, was it collected correctly?"

"Yes it was," she sighed, "We managed to get photos and collect the physical evidence before it was washed away." She turned to continue walking, but Grissom stopped her again.

"Nick told me that you knew the victim." Great, she thought, now she'll probably be pulled off the case.

"I did, but not very well."

"Try to stay professional." With a quick smile, Grissom retreated into his office. He always said that to Catherine. Out of all the team, he knew she would be the most likely to become attached to a case. Rolling her eyes, she carried on walking.

Opening the heavy door, Catherine stepped into the freezing cold morgue. "Have you determined the COD?"

"Yes I have." Doc Robbins smiled and guided Catherine over to a pale white body lying on a table. She shivered. She hated being in here. She had once had nightmares of seeing someone she loved in here. Thankfully, that hadn't happened, yet.

"She died from asphyxiation. There are bruises around her neck, indicating that she was killed using a rope. She has defensive wounds on her knuckles and a gash on her chest, but they're superficial. What ended her life was the rope around her neck."

"Thank you."

"And I thought my prom ended badly…Any way, if I was you, I'd go find her date."

"Thanks again." Catherine smiled weakly and walked back out. She needed to find Nick and Warrick and get a list of suspects.

She spotted them sitting in the break room, so she went to join them. "Got any names yet guys?"

"No, but we did find a rope with blood on it under a car." Nick said, turning around to face Catherine.

"Our girl died from being strangulated with a piece of rope. Could you print it and run them through AFIS?"

"I'll get right to it." Nick jumped up and walked out of the room and over to the evidence locker.

"Cath, are you alright?" Warrick asked, noticing her stressed face. She sat down next to him.

"I don't know Warrick. I keep thinking that it could have been Lindsay lying there."

"She's smart and careful Catherine, you have to trust her."

She sighed, there was no point in arguing with Warrick.