Chapter 10:

Thanks to Grissom the NEW fast food robberies were solved, and by sure coincidence so were the cold ones. During further interrogation Marvin Wells he told Brass that he got the idea not from the Cold Vault computer as everyone thought, but from his brother-in-law.

Wells brother-in-law, Wallace Miller, had bragged to Wells one night about how he was making extra money and gave him complete details. When Brass asked him how Miller managed not to get caught Wells laughed, "The drunken idiot got him self killed in a car accident."

In class the next day Grissom stood in front of his class.

"Our next case is a missing person," he said, pointing to the boxes on the tables.

As the students opened the boxes he continued, "10 years ago a man named Bernard "Barry" O'Malley went missing. O'Malley and his brother Carl were caught on tape in several casino's cheating. The files detail the ways they did it." Then he chuckled, "And before any of you get any idea, don't forget what I told you about Captain Brass."

The class laughed.

"It says here that Carl O'Malley's body was found in the desert," one of the girls said.

"Yes," Grissom said, "There was plenty of animal activity on the body. It was assumed that it was a hit ordered by one or more of the casino owners but it could not be proven. Bernard O'Malley was reported missing about a week later by his mother."

IN LVPD HEADQUARTERS:

As Grissom and his students were starting their cold case Sara was handed a case of her own. She stood on the other side of the glass looking at a 13 year old boy. The boy was dirty and obviously homeless. The boy was not talking but eagerly took the cheeseburger and shake that Brass had offered him.

"The boy was caught in a convenience store," Jim said, "He had opened a bag of chips and soda and he was eating them when the attendant caught him. The attendant told him he had to pay for the stuff and the boy started to run another costumer in the store stopped him. He didn't say anything so I thought that the kid must be hungry so I figured if I gave him something eat then maybe he would talk to us."

Sara walked into the room, "Hi. My name is Sara. What's yours?"

The boy looked at her then dove back into his burger.

"You sure are hungry," Sara said, "Would you like another one?"

The boy didn't say anything, he just nodded his head.

"I'll have my friend get you one," Sara said.

The boy gobbled down the second one as fast as he had the first one and then got sick. Sara went with him to the emergency room to be checked out. The boy reluctantly let the doctors check him out. After a series of tests the doctor, Jim and Sara stood in the hallway.

GRISSOMS CLASS:

"By what I am reading most people think that Bernard O'Malley is dead, not missing," one of the girls said.

"Yeah," one of the boys added, "Looks like it is a tossup between missing, dead or just left town."

"He couldn't have just left town," a different girl argued, "His prints are in the system. A man like that is sure to show up some place."

Grissom sat in front of the class and smiled to himself. He was glad he had decided on this course of study, all the kids were enjoying revisiting the clod cases.

AT THE ER:

"The boy has been abused, there is no doubt about that," the doctor said pointing to several healed fractures. He is also malnourished. I told him I was going to keep him here for a while and that you were going to try to find his family. The kid started to cry."

"There is a lot more to this then a homeless kid stealing food," Sara said.

The doctor handed Sara the boys clothing and the swab she had requested for a possible DNA match.

Sara went to the boys room, "Hi remember me?"

The boy shook his head yes.

A sudden noise cased Sara to jump but the boy didn't react, "Is it possible?" she wondered.

Sara signed, "My name is Sara. No one is going to hurt you, I just want to help you will you please tell me your name?"

The boy smiled then he signed, "Gilbert."

IN GRISSOMS CLASS:

"I've seen this birthmark before," Casey Dunn said.

"Where?" she was asked.

Casey went to where Grissom was sitting, "My roommate is helping Mr. Sanders with his book."

"Yes, he told me she has been a great help," Grissom said.

"Karen was sick yesterday so I went with Mr. Sanders as he interviewed someone who said that he was a dealer a long time ago and had information about the O'Malley brothers. Mr. Sanders shook his hand and introduced himself as Curtis Dunn. The only reason I remember is because of the same last name."

"Any relation?" one of the boys joked.

"No. He's white." Casey said.

"He has the same birthmark?" Grissom said, trying to get her back on subject.

"Yes. When they shook hands I seen that same birthmark. I mean it's hard to miss," Casey said.

The birthmark is a large brown area that covered most of the top of his hand.

"Could it be that all this time Bernard O'Malley has been living as Curtis Dunn?" Grissom was asked.

"If it is him he has had plastic surgery," Casey said, "He doesn't look like the picture we have."

"This is information that Captain Brass needs. Miss Dunn, please call him," Grissom said.

His phone rang, "Excuse me it's my wife."

THE BOYS ROOM:

Sara's signing had improved but she wanted someone who was not only better at it but who's interruption would not be questioned by anyone.

Sara filled Gil in. "Gilbert?" he laughed, "Poor boy."

As he was talking to the boy Sara's phone rang, it was Nick.

"We don't have a direct hit but we do have a familiar match," he said.

After a while Brass, Sara and Gil were standing outside the boys room.

"His mane is Gilbert Lake," Gil said, "Two years ago his parents were killed in an auto accident and he was put in foster care. A year ago he ran away and he has been living on the streets."

"We have the foster parents in custody," Brass said, "They never reported him missing, they just kept collecting all the benefits. There were three others in the house, they are all being placed in different homes. They are being charged with fraud and child abuse."

GRISSOMS CLASS, THE NEXT DAY:

"Captain Brass has arrested Bernard O'Malley aka Curtis Dunn," he told the class, "When he was confronted with all the evidence O'Malley told Captain Brass that after his brothers body was found he fled to Canada where he had some work done on his face and used acid to try to disguise his fingerprints. He lived there until about three years ago."

"Why would he agree to talk to Mr. Sanders?" one of the boys asked.

"He wanted to make sure that everyone knew what he and his brother had done," Grissom told them.

With their time exploring cold cases coming to an end every one of the students told him how much they enjoyed doing it, several even said that they were going to explore the possibility of becoming cold case detectives.

AT THE GRISSOM HOME:

"So that's that," Sara said, hanging up the phone.

The appointment that she had missed was with her gynecologist, Sara had gone yesterday. She had been trying to get pregnant but it was not happening, so Sara had gone for a complete exam. The doctor had told her that the "normal" way was not an option.

"There are other ways," Gil told her.

"They are way to expensive and never guaranteed to work," Sara said, "Anyway, we are to old to have a baby. I don't know what I was thinking anyway."

Gil pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek, he could taste the tear on her cheek.

"There is one other option," he said, "They still have not been able to find a home for the Lake boy."

"We could foster Gilbert," Sara said smiling.

Gil laughed, "GILBERT, the poor kid.

The End.

Wrapping this one up. I have a short story in mind and I may consider traveling down this road again at some other time. I enjoy writing the stories with his class helping out.