Disclaimer – Please see chapter 1
A/N – Thanks as always for your reviews, they inspire me to keep on writing. Please keep them coming. My usual apologies again for not having the time to reply to them, I am so busy with everything right now. Story is beta'd by myself so any remaining mistakes are all mine, so I apologize in advance. R & R Enjoy!
Fall Out Boy – Chapter 32 That's enough
"Conrad?" Brass' asked bristling, then tensing up at the possible confrontation, it was well known about the lab that Ecklie didn't particularly like Sara.
Sara's eyes remained fixed on Gil who was speaking in a low tones encouraging Kye to turn in his lap, the only outward visible sign that she now knew who'd entered the room was her rigid posture, as she let Jim deal with her arrogant boss.
"What's Sidle doing here Jim?" Ecklie asked with out greeting, or acknowledging Sara respectfully, he saw the scowl build on the captains face as Jim readied himself to defend her.
Glaring at the side of 'The loose cannons' head, as he'd come to silently nickname her after her insubordination, Ecklie spoke tersely "I wasn't aware you had returned from your leave and were active on a case Sidle....But there again I shouldn't be surprised with that supervisor of yours for not handing in the paperwork before taking his own leave" he said trailing off, he hadn't yet seen who was in the makeshift interview area and now stood waiting for a response.
Turning slowly to only give the arrogant man a cursory tight lipped glare, Sara spoke matter of factly "I'm still off the clock Ecklie, this is a private matter" she said emphasizing the last part.
Confused and a little irritated by her reply Ecklie now looked at Brass for answers, but seeing the captain trying to edge him out of the room had him on alert "What case is this relating to Jim?" he asked cockily as he stood his ground by the open door.
"Can we just step outside a minute Conrad, the interview is about to begin" Brass indicated out in to the hall as he stepped forwards away from Sara, who he suspected was brooding and most likely ready to blow.
Looking disgruntled, but not wanting to push further, both men stepped outside into the hall, Jim pulling the door closed behind him.
Knowing he couldn't blatantly lie, that Ecklie would find out eventually after asking around the department, Jim decided to come clean, but just to omit some of the details if at all possible "It's the Meridian case Conrad, Sara is the child's official guardian until further notice, and that's why she's here today while he's being interviewed by Catherine" he said.
"Oh" slightly taken aback "I wasn't made aware that Sidle was a foster care provider for child services" Ecklie said a little shocked at the revelation "Has that pertinent piece of information been added to her personal file and if so when?" he asked annoyed he'd been kept oblivious to the new information.
Jim rubbed a weathered hand over his jaw momentarily "I can't answer that for you Conrad. All I know is Sara is not on the clock, but is on personal leave and has come here today as a child's guardian" he said not wishing to reveal more right now.
"So why isn't she in there for the interview with the kid then?" Ecklie asked tardily, he was loosing his patience with Brass, plus he had somewhere important to be very soon.
Being very careful with choosing his words, surreptitiously eyeing the interview door and windows, Jim made a mental decision and prayed to god Gil didn't now exit said room "The boy has a child advocate with him while the interview is conducted, as it was felt Sara may be too emotionally connected to the boy to take part" was his reply.
Tutting disgustedly with contempt, clearly annoyed he had to be on his way and didn't have the time to investigate further, although he wanted to right now, Ecklie spat out "That's her problem, too many damned emotions getting the better of her with cases" he said turning to leave as he glanced at his watch "I have to be somewhere" he said striding off down the hall not even being so polite as to say goodbye.
Jim let out a long relieved sign as he saw the man disappear round the corner, You owe me big time Gil buddy. A good bottle of Scotch should do it, he thought as tension left him and he pushed the door to the room open again, stepping inside.
Inside the other room Gil had managed to turn Kye in his lap and the boy was now sat sideways, one arm around Grissom's back, the other grasping the front of his shirt, the teddy bear loosely at the side of the chair.
Catherine stood to go behind them to switch on the recording equipment, then returned to her seat to the side of Gil and Kye "We ready now?" she asked Gil in a low calming tone.
"Yes we're ready now, aren't we Kye?" Gil said reassuringly looking down at Kye who had his head down, rubbing gently the arm across his chest.
"Okay" Catherine said clearing her voice a little, then switching to work mode "Present in this interview, acting CSI supervisor Catherine Willows, witness Kye Anthony Meridian and the child's guardian Dr Gilbert Grissom" she also stated the time, date and place of the interview before they started.
"Kye can you remember back to the night when you met Sara for the first time?" Catherine asked gently, she was trying to avoid saying when his mother died, or got killed so as not to upset him too soon, but using Sara as a focal point instead.
Kye nodded against the side of Gil's chest.
"Your going to have to speak up so we can hear you properly little man, okay" Gil said soothingly to him as he tried to sit up straighter in the chair.
"Okay" Kye replied timidly, looking up at Gil now for more reassurance.
"Good boy" Gil said encouragingly.
"Sooooo, can you remember Kye?" Catherine prodded again gently.
Turning his head to Catherine, Kye swallowed thickly "Yes" he spoke in his childlike voice.
"Do you you remember what happened much earlier, before you met Sara in your home too?" Catherine prodded.
Nodding automatically again, then remembering to speak, Kye said firmly "Uh huh".
Treading carefully Catherine chose her words carefully "What were you Mommy and Martin doing earlier" she tentatively asked, hoping not to upset him too early.
Looking at Gil first and seeming to be in thought, Kye then turned his head to Catherine slowly "Mommy was telling me I was going to be a big boy and be a bring bearer soon" he said with a little excitement in his voice, until later memories of that night hit him and sadness overtook his demeanour again.
Guessing the couple must have been telling the boy about their plans to get married before tragedy struck, had Catherine letting out a sad sigh and glanced at Gil, she also picked up on his slip of 'Ring bearer' too "Really...That's an awfully important job for a big guy" she stated as a compliment to him before proceeding "Then what happened?" she asked now easing in to the actual event that led to his mother and her boyfriend being killed.
Snuggling tighter into Gil's chest now and avoiding Catherine's eyes, Kye was silent once more.
"Kye buddy, you'll be helping catch the bad guys if you tell Catherine what happened" Gil said encouragingly, as he wondered if he was still scared that perhaps the perpetrators would come and kill him "You know your safe with Sara and I, and we wont let anyone hurt you, don't you" he echoed again, after the many times he'd said those same words to him after a night terror.
Nodding his head, Kye looked up at Gil with apprehension on his face before speaking "A bad........Bad man came into the house from the kitchen with a.....A,....Then.....Then....Mar..........Martin shouting at him..... Was knife...........F....F.....Fighting" Kye's eye's were now filling with tears as he kept them on Gil "Mo.......Mommy told me to go hide....But....But." he struggled with his words, seeming to jump from one thing to another "Front door..........He.......He was....Gun.....Gun.....Mo....Mommy yelled at me to go hide....Was scared.....He......The man.......He....Hit my Mommyyyyyyy" he said on a final sob as his tears burst free and he buried his face in Gil's chest.
Gil wrapped both his arms securely around Kye, hugging him and offering soothing words of comfort to him, as he locked his eyes with Catherine.
He knew they really needed more information if they were to make any headway with the case from the interview, and although his heart was torn at protecting Kye and ending it now, he allowed Catherine to continue reluctantly, so that they could garner something useful.
Catherine was still trying to process the boys words as she watched her friend expertly offer fatherly comfort and love to the child.
Are we talking one perp or two here?.
He mentioned Gun, but there was only signs of a knife having been used, was the gun used as a threat?.
Was the gun used, but missed it's intended target? Mental note for Nick and Greg to go to the crime scene and double check.
Kitchen entrance? Did the second enter through the front door to stop any possible escape?
There were no signs of a break in so... They had to have had keys or picked the locks...Mental note to have both locks brought back for processing.
What the hell happened in that house to scare this kid so much?.
What did they try to do to him?.
They obviously tried to catch him, but couldn't find him?.
Thank god for buildings having crawl spaces, for Kye to have got there out of harms way.
Catherine thought as she watched Gil calm Kye to a reasonable state for continuing on with her questions.
She gave them a good five minutes, and watched the tender interactions, Catherine was in awe of this new side to Grissom she'd never seen before.
Quietly catching his breath after sobbing lightly into Gil's cotton covered chest, Kye was asked his next question gently by Catherine "Kye were there two men in the house or only one sweetheart?" she had to at least try and clarify how many suspects they were possibly looking at.
"Three" Kye choked out on a sob, as Gil and Catherine's eyes then met in shock.
"Three?" Gil asked immediately to make certain they'd both heard correctly, forgetting he shouldn't be asking questions himself.
"Uh huh" Kye's answer was muffled and choked as his sobs increased.
Knowing the interview was coming to a rapid close, but seeing Gil's internal struggle to let it continue and Kye becoming so distressed, had Catherine forging on with another question "Kye sweetheart, did you know any of the men?".
Gil and Catherine watched intently as Kye seemed to battle with his memories and thoughts, then after a few moments before their very eyes the boy crumbled emotionally.
Kye nodded sobbing loudly now, unable to get any words out as he swivelled round in Gil's lap quickly, fiercely gripping him around his neck as he buried his face and his whole body shook with distress.
Shaking his head and standing with the boy plastered across his upper torso in a protective embrace, Gil spoke up with determination in his voice now "That's enough Catherine" he paused and swallowed as his own emotions struggled to break free "He's had enough" he said a little hoarsely as the interview room door flung opened.
Catherine made a mental note to ask Gil later if either he or Sara would try to get the name of the man, or men who Kye had known of the three men involved in the murder, as she stepped over to turn off the recording equipment.
A/N – I hope the chapter was all you expected it to be, it was a hard one to write I have to say (angst isn't my forte). The next chapter will be Sara's reaction to the interview and the aftermath for all involved. Next post hopefully the weekend.
Please take the time to review the chapter or even the story so far, any comments are greatly appreciated.