Chapter 23

"Hey Warrick where's the card that Sara received with her flowers?"

"Over there in the baggie. What's up?"

"I just remembered something that I saw when I first looked at the card. I can't believe I didn't remember it. There it is. He signed the card 'T' now we need to concentrate on the files and see if there is anyone with the initial T that paid special attention to Sara. Maybe we should call her and ask if it rings any bells."

"I'll give her a call and see if she can help us." He dialed Sara's cell phone and waited for her to answer. "Hey Sara, got a question for ya? The card you got with the flowers was signed T. Any idea who it could be?" He listened for awhile and then spoke. "Ok just thought we'd give it a try. You take care, we'll be by later to visit ok?" He hung up and turned to Nick. "She said they tried to find anyone connected to her or any of her cases back then that had either a T in their first or last name and nothing came up. She also said she couldn't remember anyone she may have come in contact with that showed any overt attention to her that had the initial T."

"I'm going to hold on to these copies of her files so we can use them later to rule things out. Maybe I'm going to go through them again and see if there are any family members that got screwed or something."

"If he got screwed why would he be claiming to be in love with her?"

"Remember the fine line between love and hate? Maybe something caused him to go from hating her to thinking he was in love with her. Hell, man I don't know anymore but what else do we have?" Nick let his frustration come through. "After I go through the files I'll start sifting through the garbage from the trailer again."

"No way am I going to tell Grissom we struck out with the files. He told us it was a waste of time. We had to try right?"

"Yeah Rick we had to try, and I'm not done trying yet. I'm going to need another cup of coffee if I'm going to read these files again. Want some coffee?"

"Yeah sure, let me start sifting through the garbage again." Warrick started weeding out garbage from things that might be substantial and started a pile.

"Please give me something to do before I go crazy and kill Grissom! He keeps asking me if I have anything new on Sara's case and I keep telling him no and he bites my head off. What do you think Catherine said to him? It didn't seem to improve his attitude?"

"I have no idea Greg and I haven't spoken to Catherine to get her side of things. I'm not sure how much she'll tell me, it may have been private. We'll ask her when we go see them later. It's hard to believe it's only been two days since this whole thing started. But you know Catherine she didn't hold anything back. Grissom probably left with his tail between his legs."

"Hey Greg you hiding your stash from us again? I'd pay for a cup of it right about now. Shift just started and already I'm going cross eyed reading these files."

"How much would you pay?" Greg was rubbing his hands together at the thought of besting his friend.

"Come on man, be a friend, look at that stack of files I have to read. I read them yesterday and now I have to read them again."

"Aw Nick beg a little more and I might find it in my heart to allow you a cup of my premo coffee."

"That is so not nice Greg, a true friend would not be that way. A true friend would offer a cup to a friend in their hour of need." Greg knew he had lost that round and he lowered his head and left the room.

Warrick walked over and high fived Nick. "Man that was so smooth. How much you want to bet he comes back with a cup for both of us?"

"Not taking that bet man, it's a suckers bet. He'll be back with two cups just the way we like it and it will be piping hot." They high fived again and got back to work.

Not ten minutes later Greg was back and he handed each man a cup of coffee. "Not a word out of either of you and you can quit high fiving and wipe the grins off your faces. That coffee costs 100 bucks a bag. I know Sara's found my stash and makes a pot for you guys when I'm not around so don't say you never get any."

Both Nick and Warrick were laughing at the pout on Greg's face then they decided to cut him some slack as long as he was coming to help them. "Hey thanks Greg, your coffee is always appreciated."

"Cut the crap Warrick, I brought you a cup so I could avoid you begging like Nick did. One man begging is all I can deal with in one day. Now what can I do until someone comes in with some lab work?"

"Same thing as before, dig into the crap on the table and see if we can find anything to nail this son of a bitch"

They all worked in silence for about an hour until Grissom came in with a slip in his hand. "Warrick got a 419 out in Henderson, take Nick with you."

"What about…"

"Just do it Warrick." Both Warrick and Nick left the room not wanting to stay for anymore of Grissom's foul mood. Grissom turned to Greg who was busy pretending to not be in the room. "Greg why are you in here instead of in your lab. I distinctly remember telling you to go there and work?"

Greg rounded on Grissom and surprised both himself and Grissom with his anger. "You know what Grissom? I am so tired of being your whipping boy. Things are slow and you know it. There is nothing to process as I've told you the last three times you asked. The only place there might be any new evidence is in that pile over there." He said as he pointed to the garbage from the trailer. "If you are angry with Catherine for stealing your girlfriend don't take it out on me and everyone else around here. It's been two days and you have bitten my head off at least twice today and shift just started an hour ago. I'm tired of it. Get it together or you will lose what little respect we still have for you." Greg left Grissom standing in the middle of the lab with his mouth hanging open.

When he finally recovered he headed back to his office. He shut the door behind him and sat down behind his desk. "I have to do something to win her back. We were meant to be together. I need to show her that." He pulled out his rolodex and found what he was looking for. He picked up the phone and dialed the number. "Hello, yes I'd like to order some flowers for delivery."